And If The Sun Won't Shine
by Recode
Summary: Shuichi is having a hard time dealing with his bloodied past; trying to hold on with the help of Tohma and Ryuichi. Eiri loves him and is determined to unveil the mystery. Where do the Sakuma family and some strangers fit in? [Track 13.1 Up]
1. Prologue

**Title:** And If The Sun Won't Shine…  
**Author:** Angel (angel predilection . org)  
**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be writing this fanfic if Gravitation's mine, would I? Last time I checked, it certainly doesn't say 'Maki Murakami' on my birth certificate… So, there :P  
**Summary/ Teaser:** (AU) Shindou Shuichi, the superstar in-the-making is always distant and aloof. When the famous, warm-hearted Uesugi Eiri falls for him, how is he going to cover his terrible past? And what role does Sakuma Ryuichi play in this entire ordeal?  
**Pairings:** Eiri-Shuichi, Tatsuha-Ryuichi, Tohma-Mika, Hiro-Ayaka, Suguru-OC  
**A/N:** Hi, all! This is Angel speaking :) This is my first Gravi fic so… er…Please be kind to me. Flames and comments/ constructive criticisms are always welcomed to my inbox. You can check my **blog** at **w w w . predilection. o r g** from time to time for progress in the story :)

**And If The Sun Won't Shine… : Prologue**

Uesugi Eiri was wide awake, staring at the ceiling numbly. The silent, spacious apartment provided a lot of rooms for him to think. It was so quiet that he could almost hear the beating of his heart. Yet, the same phrase uttered by someone he was unfamiliar with kept ringing at the back of his head. With a grunt, he rolled to his side and closed his golden eyes…

_It was 9.30pm. Eiri was having trouble finding the best ending for his latest project. He had decided to give it a happy ending instead of stuffing it with too much angst. It was not a bad idea, he thought. Maybe he could surprise the readers when it came out. He flipped through his own novel that was published six months prior for research, mainly because he wanted to avoid similar situations recurring in his next novel. The park was deserted at night so he loved visiting it at this time of the night. Too engrossed in the novel, he didn't notice a rock the size of a palm lying on the ground. With a light yelp of surprise, Eiri tripped. His book was sent flying at least a hundred metres away from where he had fallen._

_ 'What a luck,' his mind grumbled. Standing up with as much dignity he could summon, he quickly composed himself. However, he literally froze as he brought his gaze towards his poor, fallen book. A boy –no- a young man was flipping through his book, stopping at a few pages to read the written paragraphs and repeated the actions before closing it. The young man stood his ground as Eiri silently approached him. "Anou, can I please have my book back?" He asked. The boy simply stared at him before looking at the picture of Eiri at the back of the book. _

_ "So you're the famous Uesugi Eiri…" said the boy. Eiri was feeling nervous. Although the young man was shorter than him by far, the look on his face sent a chill down his spine. It was strange, Eiri thought, to find a man with bright, magenta hair in Japan. The young man's pair of lavender eyes was big and beautiful but lacking in vitality. His emotionless gaze was unnerving; much too unsettling. Still looking at Eiri, he tossed the book to his rightful owner and took a step back. "I don't know why they worship your works. They're downright foolish. You simply don't know how life really works, mister. Better research next time." With that, the pink-haired young man turned around and walked away, leaving Eiri glued to the ground; shocked to his core._

No one had ever insulted Uesugi Eiri before. Strangely, he was not offended or sad. Instead, the image of the boy kept flashing in his head every now and then. His boyish figure, his lavender eyes, his unusual magenta hair…There was just something about the young man that made Eiri's heart ached for him. The last thought sent him jumping off his bed in surprise. His heart was beating real fast. "Damn it!" He cursed. "I can't be falling for a stranger…Or, can I?"

"_I don't know why they worship your works. They're downright foolish._"

For the millionth time that night, Eiri groaned.

He had to find the boy.

**Coming up:** Track 1- Possessed


	2. Possessed

**Title:** And If The Sun Won't Shine…  
**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be writing this fanfic if Gravitation's mine, would I? Last time I checked, it certainly doesn't say 'Maki Murakami' on my birth certificate… So, there :P The song **Possessed** is **mine**, though.  
**A/N:** Okay, so the first chapter is here. Forgive my grammar if it's bad. Note that English is not my mother tongue. The first chapter is quite slow. I promise to get everyone into the picture ASAP. R&R, please :) Sorry if this chapter is short  
**Author:** Angel (angel predilection. o r g)  
**Website:** w w w. predilection . o r g **or** w w w . darkest–light . n e t

**TRACK 1: POSSESSED**

Eiri sipped his hot coffee with caution to avoid hurting himself. If one were to look at him closely, he would notice the bags under his eyes which indicated the author did not get much sleep the previous night. Obviously, a cup of steaming espresso wasn't enough for him so he poured himself another cup. The temperature had dropped a few degrees due to the heavy rain outside.

CLICK!

He switched on the TV, absent-mindedly browsed from one channel to another. 'Boring,' he thought. The sixth channel, however, caused the cup of coffee to slip from his hold onto the expensive, imported, designer carpet; staining it. Eiri, however, couldn't care less about the stained carpet. He was too busy gawking at the TV, eyes wide in disbelief. Energetically singing on the stage shown on TV was the mystery guy he met the night before! "Wait a minute, isn't that the new band, Bad Luck? That vocalist and the guy I met…they're the same person?" He asked to no one in particular. The song faded into the background and a voice-over was heard, "The music industry is once again graced with powerful, sensational music in the form of the new band, Bad Luck. Their first concert last week was a total blast, reminding us again of the kick-start of the legendary Nittle Grasper. Seguchi Tohma, the President of NG Studio who is also the former keyboardist of Nittle Grasper, is proud of the new band. He recently declared that signing up Bad Luck under NG Studio was one of the best decisions he has ever made. Although Shindou Shuichi, Bad Luck's vocalist does resemble Sakuma Ryuichi of Nittle Grasper in a lot of ways, he definitely has his unique style especially when ---"

CLICK!

The TV was abruptly switched off. Eiri was grinning like there was no tomorrow. 'So, his name is Shindou Shuichi, huh? Shuichi…I like that name." Humming a happy tune, he quickly grabbed the phone and dialled a familiar number.

DU! DU! DU! CLICK! "Moshi, moshi," came the reply.

"Tohma-nii, it's Eiri."

"Ara, good morning Eiri-san! Can I help you? Or do you want to talk to Mika?"

"Iie. I want to talk to you…It's about the new band, Bad Luck."

"Go on, I'm listening."

"Do you know if I can meet them at the studio today?"

"Er, I don't think so. Today's their day off. I figured Shindou-san might appreciate a little break to create Bad Luck's new songs."

"Oh…" Tohma raised an eyebrow as Eiri's sigh sounded a lot like disappointment.

"But I can arrange you a meeting with them if you like."

"Really? That would be great but…Actually, I only want to have a little talk with…er…Shindou Shuichi." Eiri swore Tohma, his brother-in-law was smirking. "Sure thing, Eiri-san. Why the sudden interest in music, anyway? Or, is it a certain person?"

"Tohma-nii…"

"I was kidding, Eiri-san. I'll get back to you later, okay? Rest assured that everything will be arranged. Jaa!"

"Jaa." The conversation ended there and Eiri was grinning again. He was going to meet his pink-haired stranger and they're going to have a very long conversation, starting from why the singer thought his stories were rubbish. If he was lucky, he might be able to get to know the singer better.

Yeah, he would really love that.

_The colour red was everywhere. On the floor, the wall… It was a living hell._

_He could hear people screaming every now and then. The intensity of the screams seemed to fade away by each minute. "Okaa-san! Otou-san! Where are you?" He screamed. Another piercing shriek sounded from upstairs. He ran towards the source of the voice, trying his best to ignore the lifeless bodies littered along the stairs. It wasn't supposed to be like this! "Okaa-san!!" He screamed again. "Noo! Don't come in here! Run!!" A woman shrieked, loud but pained. The boy did not care. He burst into the room where the yell came from and practically froze at what he saw. "Bastard! What are you doing to my okaa-san?!" He tried to free the woman from the cruel man but was held back by two equally cruel men. "Get away from her!" He yelled. The men laughed out loud and started dragging the boy into the next room. _

_The boy was roughly slammed into the wall. The men started to tie him up, smirking and laughing all the while. "No! Please, just let me go! Don't do this, please!!" Tears stung his eyes. His vision was becoming more blurry as the men came closer…_

_And closer…._

_And closer…_

"AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!"

Shindou Shuichi woke up screaming. His breath came out in short gasps, beads of cold sweat trickled down his pale face. He looked around. Nothing red was in sight. He sighed in relief. "Yet another nightmare." Shuichi was the image of a naïve, innocent boy if you look at him from afar. His unusual hair colour was enough to attract people's attention. If it weren't for his eyes, people would have mistaken him for a fun, lively young man. Shuichi's eyes were those of the living dead. The clock already screamed 8.10 a.m. Good thing Tohma had given Bad Luck a day off. Shuichi did not feel like going to the studio at all.

Stretching his tired muscles, he went to his dresser to comb his messy hair but froze upon seeing his own reflection. For a moment, he just stood there and stared into the mirror. His violet eyes were sharp, mocking and disturbing him to no end. Shuichi felt a sudden urge to crash the offending mirror into tiny, little pieces as an all too familiar feeling of self-loathing threatened to overwhelm his senses. Snapping out of his silent thoughts, he grabbed the hairbrush and brushed his hair, closing his eyes to avoid looking at his reflection. "I hate mirrors," he muttered to himself. "Why the hell do I keep them in the first place, anyway? Oh, right… I need to look good for the world out there."

After making himself a light breakfast, Shuichi flopped down onto his comfy sofa in the living room; reading the newspaper. Of course, he was flipping through the entertainment section. There were articles on Bad Luck that he found amusing. Only a few months and they were comparing them to Nittle Grasper already. Maybe he really had a chance to beat Nittle Grasper's record. There was a large picture of him on the left side of the page. On the other side was a picture of Nittle Grasper's vocalist, Sakuma Ryuichi, of the equal size. Shuichi smirked. "Of course, they're comparing my physical appearance to the physical appearance of the legendary Sakuma Ryuichi. What's the big deal, anyway? It's not like we're the same person." He flipped to another page and stopped. There was a picture of Eiri and the cover of his novel, "Indispensable". Apparently, it was the first part of the reviews on Eiri's book. Shuichi sighed.

"Uesugi Eiri…You're one of those who are blinded by the artificial sweetness of life. You're helping thousands of hopeless beings to drown in empty dreams; the nonexistent gain that is _romance_," he spoke softly, tracing the picture of the blonde man with his fingers. "There is no such thing as Fate or Destiny, Uesugi. True love never existed and never will exist." Again, he sighed. Deep within his tired heart, somehow, he could hear a voice denying what he had just said. Whose voice it was, he did not have a clue. He remembered reading the summary of 'Indispensable'. It was about a young girl of a wealthy family who fell hopelessly in love with a poor guy. It was a story of how the guy managed to become successful, hoping to marry the girl and to live happily ever after together only to realize he had caught a serious illness. Both the hero and heroine died in the end; typical Uesugi Eiri 'trademark'. Many thought the story was great and touching but to Shuichi, it was rubbish. Lovey-dovey romance was just not for him.

Folding the newspaper and throwing it aside, he took out a small notebook from under the sofa. It was opened to a page where one of Bad Luck's new song lyrics was half finished. It was one hell of a difficult song to write. Shuichi had named it '**Possessed**'. He had only done the first verse and the chorus:

_The voice of the night fierce in my ears._

_There I sit, accompanied by dried tears._

_Reaching out to nothing at all,_

_They all know someday I would fall._

_Never should have I reached for you_

_Just to have my heart broken in two._

_Shame to you and shame to me._

_Oh world, just leave me be!_

_Possessed by you,_

_That's what you do._

_Why is it easy to believe_

_but so hard to forgive?_

_Stop haunting me, no more!_

_Why did I believe in you before?_

_You hypnotized me, yes you did,_

_Tricked and fooled me, that's what you did._

_No more now, go away!_

_I don't want to be possessed by you, hey!_

Nakano Hiroshi aka Hiro and Fujisaki Suguru, his fellow band mates always said they liked his lyrics, depressing or not. Sakano and Tohma said he was great too. He didn't know if they were being honest or not but nevertheless, Shuichi loved his songs. Hiro and Suguru were awesome. When Tohma first introduced his cousin Suguru to Shuichi and Hiro, they were quite doubtful. Day after day, Shuichi saw there was a lot of talent in the 16-year-old boy and started to treat him warmer. So did Hiro.

DU! DU!

DU! DU!

The phone suddenly rang, pulling Shuichi back from his monotonous reverie. "Remind me to get caller ID next time I go out." He lazily picked up the ringing phone. "Moshi, moshi. Shindou Shuichi speaking."

"Shuichi? It's me!" came the happy reply.

Shuichi froze. "…Ryuichi."

VROOOM!!!

Shuichi's Harley zoomed down the road with a roar. He couldn't care less about the fact that it was raining like cat and dog. His main priority was to get to the airport, FAST. Suddenly, an unexpected figure jumped in front of his speeding bike out of nowhere. Shuichi had never been more shocked as he pulled both brakes and stopped the bike with a screeching halt. Abandoning his bike, he threw his helmet off and glared at the suicidal figure. "What in the name of seventh hell are you doing?! Do you wish to _fucking_ die, you idiot?!!" Shuichi angrily yelled. His tirade suddenly turned into ashes as he looked at the drenched figure.

Blonde hair…

Golden eyes…

He growled. "Uesugi Eiri!"

For some reason, Eiri was smirking. "Found you at last, Shindou Shuichi." Shuichi rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Let me guess. You want to give me a piece of your mind about what I said last night, right? Piss off, man. I don't have time for your mindless chatter," the younger man huffed. Eiri shrugged. "Aww, c'mon! It's not like you have to go to work, anyway." Shuichi raised an eyebrow at that. He glanced sideways and cursed under his breath, "Damn Tohma!" Everyone knew Seguchi Tohma was Uesugi Eiri's brother-in-law. He'd be damned if Eiri decided to brainwash Tohma against him or Bad Luck. It seemed the person waiting for him at the airport needed to go with someone else. Groaning, Shuichi tossed the spare helmet to Eiri. "Get on," he simply stated. It didn't sound like a request at all. Eiri knew it was a command, but a command he gladly obeyed.

Shuichi could feel his cheeks heating up as Eiri held on to him as they roared down the road towards Shuichi's apartment. As they got there, Shuichi took out his cell phone and typed a few messages before sending it to a familiar number. He motioned for Eiri to get into the house and went in search for extra towels and dry clothing. He threw them over the writer's head and gave him a glare that said go-clean-up-and-put-on-something-dry as he pointed to the bathroom. Eiri shrugged and did as he was told. Shuichi slammed the door to his bedroom and quickly changed into dry clothes before proceeding to the kitchen to prepare two cups of hot chocolate. As he did, he wondered why was doing what he was doing.

At Narita Airport, a chestnut-haired man pouted as he read the message on his cell phone. The message said:

_Something idiotic yet inevitable occurred. Aid yourself here._

"Mou… Hidoi na, Shuichi!! You should at least respect your elders" The man pouted some more and hugged a pink, stuff bunny to his chest. "It's okay though, Kumagorou. We can get there on our own just fine. K will help me get there, won't you K?" The man bounced excitedly, looking into the eyes of the tall, blonde man standing behind him.

"Sure thing, Ryuichi."

Eiri flopped down beside Shuichi on the sofa, taking the offered mug gratefully. "Nice drink you made," he commented. The latter snorted. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're actually happy to see me." Eiri smiled and sipped his drink. '_Actually, yes, I'm very happy to see you but there's no bloody way I'm telling you that. At least not yet, anyway._' "So, Uesugi-san – ( - "It's Eiri!" Eiri interrupted-) Er, my apologies. So, Eiri-san, what is it that you want to tell me? I figure we should start talking before either of us starts sneezing and spreading germs all over my apartment."

"Not funny, Shuichi-kun (-Shuichi raised an eyebrow at the oh-so-informal honorific -). Anyway, I want to know why you said my works are downright foolish."

"Figured First of all, what do you think about 'love', Eiri-san?"

"I don't know where you're getting at. But well, **love** is a deep and intense affection residing in the heart of mankind. As long as mankind exists, there will be love. It is an emotion that drives a person to reach for what he desires; to excel. Love is a sacred feeling, laced with faith, trust and sometimes, with a tiny portion of sorrow. It is a necessity for us human beings."

Shuichi felt a strong urge to vomit at Eiri's words. Yet somewhere inside him, something warm threatened to burst and make itself known but he ignored it. "That's deep, Eiri-san. But listen, love is nothing sacred especially if it is for someone other than your family members. Faith and trust do not come with love. They must be gained from respect and I must say they are sometimes easily violated. Your works, however sweet and flowery they are, only encourage the readers to drown in a world of pointless dreams; possessed by sweet nonsense. There are no such things as 'love at first sight' or 'true love' like your stories claim there to be. There is no love; there is only a strong feeling to possess and be possessed.

"You see, we both believe in something different. The sweet nothings pictured in your works are cliché and downright foolish. I don't need to read the whole story to know that. The summary is enough to irk me."

Eiri clenched his fists in disbelief. He noticed the fiery loathing in Shuichi's eyes as he spoke of love. '_How could he think that? Something must have happened to him in the past. Maybe I'll ask Tohma later._' "You're wrong, Shuichi," Eiri stated as a matter of fact. The honorific was forgotten. "Love is a sacred feeling and I believe in true love and love at first sight. You want to know why?" Before Shuichi could say anything, he found himself trapped under the older man's body. He was too shocked to struggle. Eiri's gaze softened as he continued his words, "I believe in them because I know I've fallen in love at the first sight with you when I first saw you standing there last night." With that, he gracefully crushed his lips to the surprised Shuichi, closing the remaining gap between the two of them.

It was this scene that greeted Sakuma Ryuichi and Crawd Winchester as they opened the door to Shuichi's apartment.

**To Be Continued in Track 2: Blurred Shadow**

**A moment of craziness with Angel:**

- Okay, first chapter done! I'd like to clear a few things off with the lot of you First of all, Yuki calls Tohma 'Tohma-nii' because Tohma is technically his elder brother and I'd like to create a loving-family environment here. So, YukixTohma fans can head somewhere else now XD

- Secondly, NOTHING romantic will ever transpire between Shu-chan and Ryu-chan. Why? Will be explained in the next chapter

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review ;)


	3. Blurred Shadow

**Title:** And If The Sun Won't Shine…  
**Author:** Angel (angel predilection. o r g)  
**Website:** w w w. predilection . o r g **or** w w w . darkest–light . n e t  
**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be writing this fanfic if Gravitation's mine, would I? Last time I checked, it certainly doesn't say 'Maki Murakami' on my birth certificate… So, there :P The song **Possessed** is **mine**, though.  
**A/N:** Second chapter, yay! Forgive my grammar if it's bad. Note that English is not my mother tongue. R&R, please :) Sorry if this chapter is short It's only half of track two, btw. Anyway, check out my other Gravi fic, "**Snow in July**".

**TRACK 2.1: BLURRED SHADOW**

Nakano Hiroshi woke up to the massive banging on his door. Cursing whoever it was that dared to disturb his peaceful slumber, he hastily opened the door and glared at the person standing there. "What is it, Suguru? I'm trying to have a nice sleep here." The younger boy rolled his eyes and pushed Hiro aside to get in. "It's noon, you sleepyhead. I'm here to talk about our band, the new beat to be precise." Hiro raised an eyebrow. "You mean for 'Possessed'? Shouldn't we talk about that with Shuichi and Sakano-san around?"

"Would you please stop asking questions before I have the chance to talk? You're one of the closest people to Shindou-san aside from Tohma. Does he play the guitar?"

Hiro thought for a little while, lost in memories of the past…

_Fifteen-year-old Hiro was heading back home when a beautiful yet depressing melody reached his ears. Someone was obviously playing a guitar and…Was he singing as well? He followed the source of the sound. Hearing it getting louder and louder with each step, he knew he was heading in the right direction. In the small park, a young boy sat on one of the benches, playing the guitar with expert hands and singing to the melody with sweet, mellow voice. He looked like he was thirteen judging from his height and his small frame. Hiro felt as if the pull of gravity had gotten stronger, for he couldn't walk; he couldn't raise his legs to walk. The cool, evening breeze caressed the boy's pink hair, making it swayed to the melody. Suddenly, the boy stopped. Large, violet eyes opened and looked in the direction of Hiro. For a moment, Hiro wondered if the boy was human; his eyes were so cold that he felt the hair behind his neck standing up. "Umm, hi…" was all he managed to say under the smaller boy's cold gaze. "That was great," said Hiro again. _

_The boy blinked once and shrugged. "Thank you." He proceeded to put the guitar back into its case. 'He was going away!' An alarm sounded in Hiro's mind. He had never found someone who played the guitar such wonderfully. "I kind of love playing the guitar as well. It's nice to find someone with the same interest. Do you live around? Maybe we can be friends, ne?" The boy closed the case and turned to look at him. "…What's your favourite band?" He asked. Hiro did not think twice before blurting out "Nittle Grasper!". The boy's emotionless expression broke into a small smile although his eyes was still as cold. He held out his right hand. _

"_I'm Shuichi, Shindou Shuichi."_

_Hiro gladly took the offered hand to shake it. "I'm Nakano Hiroshi. You can call me Hiro."_

…..

…..

…..

"Believe it or not, Suguru, Shuchi plays better than I do." Hiro was indeed surprised when he learned that Shuichi was just as old as he was. He had mistaken the latter to be younger judging by his physical appearance. Then again, Sakuma Ryuichi looked 20 instead of 31. Heh!

Suguru brightened up almost immediately. "Really? That's good! Do you think you can persuade him to play the guitar as he sings? My keyboard alone is not enough to back you up, Nakano-san. I want 'Possessed' and a few other songs to be perfect."

"I don't know. But hey, what does it hurt? It's worth a try!"

And so Suguru and Hiro started to laugh like a maniac, imagining Bad Luck amidst the excited, screaming fans in their next concert.

……………………………….

K and Ryuichi blinked a couple of times at the scene. If possible, Shuichi's already wide eyes widened even more as he sensed their presence. Eiri jumped back just in time to avoid being on the receiving end of Shuichi's enraged kick. "GET OUT!!" He bellowed despite the furious blush on his face. Smirking evilly, Eiri gathered his wet clothing before bowing down to greet K and Ryuichi and bounced out of the apartment, _happily_. Shuichi stood up to look at the stunned Ryuichi and K, his face was still red with anger and embarrassment. "Ryuichi…K-san…Hi," he stuttered. '_Damn_!' Shuichi thought. '_Shindou Shuichi never stutters_!' Ryuichi blinked some more while K burst out laughing. "Well, that was interesting!" The statement earned him a death glare from the cold singer. Ryuichi recovered from his stupor and proceeded to _glomp_ Shuichi senseless. "SHUICHI! It's been a while, na no da! Ryuichi misses Shuichi so much, na no da!"

"Gah! Let go of me!"

K shrugged at their antics. "I'll leave you two here. I need to see Tohma at NG. See you tomorrow, guys!"

"Bye, K!" Ryuichi shouted over his shoulder. As soon as the door closed behind K, Ryuichi let go of Shuichi. His childlike expression grew serious. "So, care to tell me something you know I want to know?"

Shuichi stared at the famous singer, saying nothing. Then, he stood up and walked to the window to see the pounding rain. "I don't know what you want to know."

Ryuichi rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Sa- - -"

"MY NAME IS SHINDOU SHUICHI!!"

Ryuichi was taken aback by the force in Shuichi's voice. He could se the young boy shaking from where he stood. His fists were tightly clenched by his sides. As the trembling subsided, Ryuichi approached him with caution, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're hiding from the reality, Shu. Even if you change your name, you're still who you were born to be." Shuichi covered his face with his trembling hands. "You don't understand, Ryuichi. I don't want to be the old me. He's too fragile, too stupid, too trusting, too…too weak to protect his loved ones! I don't want to be him!!" Images of crying woman and dead bodies flashed in his mind.

"Shu…" When the ever-cold Shuichi started to cry, Ryuichi held him in his arms. Shuichi felt so helpless. In front of everyone else, he was the cold-hearted bastard. Yet, in front of Tohma and Ryuichi, he was a wreck. He'd known the two of them since forever; since before Nittle Grasper was formed. The media was going to have a field day if this little fact were to leak out. When Shuichi's tears stopped, the joyful glint returned to Ryuichi's eyes. "So, what was Tohma's brother-in-law doing in your apartment? Do K and I have to apologise for ruining your…session?"

"RYUICHI!"

……………………………….

Eiri practically skipped all the way up to his apartment. '_Holly God… I've never felt this good before. His lip was just so soft, so smooth...So moist. I just can't get enough. And his hair's bloody silky! I don't mind spending everyday hugging him close to me. Gosh, Eiri, you've got it BAD!_'

"You've got _what_ bad?"

The writer blinked in confusion. Had he said that last part out loud? The door to his apartment was opened. Leaning against the doorway was his younger brother, Uesugi Tatsuha. "Tatsuha?! What are you doing here?"

"Chill, aniki. Can't a guy visit his elder brother?"

"Cut that out, Tatsuha," Eiri snapped playfully, pushing his brother aside to enter the house. "I know you're here for Sakuma Ryuichi."

Tatsuha blinked…And blinked…And blinked. "Demo, aniki…Sakuma-sama is in the US. He's doing solo there, remember?" Eiri shrugged nonchalantly. "For all I know, I saw him standing in the doorway of Shindou Shuichi's house." He went to the kitchen, unaware of what he had just said. Tatsuha's eyes were so wide by then. "Shindou Shuichi's house? Sakuma-sama is really here?? WOW! I can't believe it! And… Er...Wait, what were you doing at Shindou Shuichi's house? I thought you said rock music equals headache." It was Eiri's turn to blink. '_Shit! How careless could I get?!_' He mentally berated himself and ignored Tatsuha's question. He hoped the teen would forget the question soon. "You know who he is?" He tried to distract his brother. "Only fool doesn't. Bad Luck's all over the media. Don't change the subject, aniki. What were you doing at his house?"

Silence --------------------------------------

"It's not good to keep others waiting, you know."

"Er…I was… interviewing him..?"

"You're a writer, not a reporter. Kami-sama, aniki! You're really the biggest and worst liar I've ever had the misfortune to meet."

Silence --------------------------------------

Whisper ------------------------------- "_I think I've fallen in love with Shindou Shuichi._"

Blink… Blink…

"HOLY _SHIT!_ And here I thought you're as straight as a ruler. How did that happen, aniki?" Tatsuha asked excitedly. For a moment, he forgot about Ryuichi.

"Well, we kind of met by chance. He picked the book I dropped and insulted my works in general."

"Wait, let me get this straight. You fell in love with him because he insulted you? Man, aniki… I never knew you're such a masochistic fool. What about Sakuma-san? You said he was there."

"Ah, yes. Sakuma Ryuichi and the former Nittle Grasper manager opened the door when I was kissing Shuichi."

"YOU KISSED THE ICE KING?? Forget I asked that. I'll deal with you about that later. You mean, Sakuma Ryuichi was really there?!" Eiri nodded. In a few seconds, Tatsuha ran towards the phone, happily screaming "Tohma-nii!!" at the top of his voice. 'Poor Tohma-nii…' Thought Eiri with a sigh. His mind wandered back to Shuichi.

"_Faith and trust do not come with love. They must be gained from respect and I must say they are sometimes easily violated. Your works, however sweet and flowery they are, only encourage the readers to drown in a world of pointless dreams; possessed by sweet nonsense. There are no such things as 'love at first sight' or 'true love' like your stories claim there to be. There is no love; there is only a strong feeling to possess and be possessed."_

There was so much hatred in Shuichi's voice as he said those words. Eiri could have sworn he saw the young singer's eyes shone dangerously with fury at that particular time.

"_You see, we both believe in something different. The sweet nothings pictured in your works are cliché and downright foolish. I don't need to read the whole story to know that. The summary is enough to irk me."_

Shuichi was wrong. Whatever happened in the past must have caused him to think as such. Eiri swore to prove him wrong even if it would take forever for him to succeed. He'd make Shuichi love him.

…Because he'd fallen in love with the cold-blooded guy.

……………………………….

Ryuichi was overcome by fatigue and was dead asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Shuichi couldn't help but smile slightly at the picture. Ryuichi looked like a teen instead of a 31-year-old guy. With him clutching his stuff bunny Kumagorou like that, it was hard to tell the difference between Ryuichi and a kid. The elder singer was the one who trained Shuichi when he first voiced his interest in music. At that time, they were in the US. Ryuichi had brought Shuichi along with him to the US before Shuichi decided to return to Japan. They kept in touch with each other, though. As Ryuichi and Tohma were good friends, he asked Tohma to look after Shuichi and Tohma did. He treated Shuichi like a little brother whenever they saw each other. Although the president could get too irritating and too strict at times, Shuichi knew Tohma only does things that would be beneficial to all.

Then Eiri's smiling face suddenly crossed his mind. He felt as though a gust of cold breeze had just swept him away. He couldn't get the writer's face out of his mind. He brought his cold fingers to his lips. The flavour of their previous kiss was still lingering there, albeit very lightly but Shuichi felt it. Anger rose within him. Throwing a pillow at the closed door of his bedroom,he buried his face in the pillow. Blurred shadows of the past started to dance at the back of his head at the sight of Eiri's smiling face – the shadows he never wanted to see again. Eiri brought back painful memories of his past – when everything was right, when his Shuichi's heart was always that of Summer.

Before he became Shindou Shuichi.

"_I believe in them because I know I've fallen in love at the first sight with you when I first saw you standing there last night."_

Shuichi growled against the pillow. "_Argh! What the fuck have you done to me, Uesugi Eiri??!!_"

**To Be Continued in Track 2.2: Blurry**


	4. Blurry

**Title:** And If The Sun Won't Shine…  
**Author:** Angel (angel predilection. o r g)  
**Website:** w w w. predilection . o r g **or** w w w . darkest–light . n e t  
**Disclaimer:** I wouldn't be writing this fanfic if Gravitation's mine, would I? Last time I checked, it certainly doesn't say 'Maki Murakami' on my birth certificate… So, there :P  
**A/N:** The second part of Track 2 is here. Sorry for taking so long to update. Apparently, something was terribly wrong with my internet connection. I even posted the second chapter of Snow in July in a cyber café. Anyway, thank you for reviewing AitSWS so far. I hope you like this chapter. As usual, forgive the grammatical errors that are probably scattered around. R&R, please! And thanks for those who reviewed. Please continue to support me

**TRACK 2.2: BLURRY**

Shuichi was angry.

No, that sounded like an understatement. Shindou Shuichi was livid with resentment.

And thanks to a certain blond novelist for fanning the flame. It had been a week since their fateful meeting and Eiri the novelist was still chasing after him. Being chased as such had never happened to the young songster before. After all, who'd want a guy who barely talks, who couldn't care less if the world really was coming to an end – a guy who glares and stands like a stone all the time? Some people even went as far as calling him a bastard with capital B. One problem: Uesugi Eiri did not care. He dodged every hurtful word thrown his way like an expert. Shuichi had to endure his daily visits to the studio. Eiri was always there when his working hour ended.

NG Productions was surprised by the return of the famous Sakuma Ryuichi to Japan after a few years of doing solo in the US. Rumours were that Nittle Grasper will resurface again. Even if Ryuichi had not told him yet, Shuichi knew the rumours were true. Not that he minded. He was looking forward to a healthy competition between Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper. Tohma had also informed them that Sakano was the producer and K, Ryuichi's manager would be Bad Luck's new manager. His weirdness just added to Shuichi's overly-pissed-off mood. Speaking of which…Shuichi was on his way to the President's office, eyes narrowed to a slit. '_Tohma better not be doing anything now_,' he thought. He needed to talk to the blond man.

BANG!

Tohma looked up from his paperwork as the door to his office swung open without warning. Shuichi approached the man in a few angry strides, banging his hands on the large table. "What kind of game is your brother-in-law playing, Tohma?!" A friendly smile graced the older man's lips. "I didn't notice Eiri-san or Tatsuha-san playing any game lately," he merely stated. Shuichi knew Tohma was playing dumb. He wanted to ask who Tatsuha was but figured he didn't need to know another Uesugi. "Cut it out, Tohma. You know what Eiri has been up to lately, don't you?"

Tohma shrugged.

"He's been following me around, asking random questions and _molesting_ me whenever I get slightly distracted. What the hell are those?!!"

Tohma suppressed the urge to laugh at the word 'molesting'. Eiri definitely was bolder than he gave him credits for. He'd thought Tatsuha was the only one who was capable of that. "Haven't it ever occur to you that he might like you real lot?" "Tsk! The impertinent _baka_ fancies himself being in love with me."

Okay, that was even more than Tohma expected. "He told you he loves you?"

"Yeah. And I told him he's blind."

Ouch! Tohma winced at the harshness of the statement. "I don't have the power to stop him doing what he wants, Shuichi. I think Eiri-san might mean what he said. Why don't you give him a try?" Again, the poor table suffered Shuichi's fury. "Are you _fucking_ out of your mind? He's too much like…" He stopped in mid sentence. "Too much like…" He couldn't do it. Shuichi couldn't say the word! Tohma sighed. "He's too much like the old you that it hurts, right?" For a moment, there was only silence. The young singer then leapt to his feet and fled, leaving the door wide open behind him. Tohma gazed sadly at his retreating back.

Suddenly, he felt so old. He'd known Shuichi since forever, as long as he'd known Ryuichi. The boy was so carefree in his younger days; always smiling, laughing and trying to make others laugh along with him. Tohma and Ryuichi had been there when he was growing up. Only the two of them knew of Shuichi's bitter past, the past that killed the old Shuichi and resurrected a totally changed young man. It was the same past that _forced_ Ryuichi to forever blame himself and be the childlike man he was. He --, no, they seemed to change overnight. If only life had been kinder… Making up his mind, Tohma dialled a very familiar number. "Hello, Ryuichi…Yes, it's Tohma…I'm about to say the same…Yes, I understand…..Okay then, I'll see both of you there…Thanks…"

Looking at his wrist watch, Tohma headed for the door. "May luck be with me on this."

* * *

Ryuichi placed his cell phone back into his pocket. He grabbed his precious Kumagorou and Shuichi's car key before going out of the shared apartment. It wasn't like Shuichi was using the car, anyway. He was far too comfortable with his Harley. Since Ryuichi was still unsure if he was going to permanently stay in Japan, he did not want to rush into buying a car of his own. Ryuichi and Tohma were the one who bought Shuichi's blood red Porsche for coming of age – for his sixteenth birthday three years ago. "Ne, Kumagorou, we're going out for lunch today. Isn't it wonderful? And we're going to see Tohma and I'll introduce you to a new person. Who? No, no asking yet Kuma-chan. I'll let you know later. Let's go now!"

In no time, the sleek, gorgeous car was making the drivers and pedestrian alike drool as it skimmed down the road towards its destination. Ryuichi parked the car at the parking lot of an elite building. He stole a look at a piece of paper on which he wrote the address of someone's apartment. Not much people were around so he didn't bother to disguise himself. Some 30 storeys later, he found himself standing in front of a door. "Here goes nothing…"

Eiri was typing away in his study while Tatsuha was watching a Nittle Grasper tape he'd brought all the way from Kyoto, drooling like a lovesick puppy at Sakuma Ryuichi's performance when the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the apartment. "Tatsuha, get the door!" Eiri shouted from his study. Tatsuha rolled his eyes and paused the video, cursing whoever it was that dared to disturb his 'Sakuma-sama Glomping Session'. When he opened the door, however, it felt as though the world had stopped moving. His jaw dropped, eyes opened wide upon seeing the person standing before him. "Konnichiwa, na no da! Is Uesugi Eiri home?"

There, smiling and standing in all of his glory, was Sakuma Ryuichi: Tatsuha's _God_. Instead of answering, Tatsuha pointed a shaky finger at the famous singer. "Sa…Sa…Sa…Sakuma Ryu…i…chi…?" Ryuichi happily bounced up and down with excitement. "Waiii!! He knows Ryuichi, Kumagorou! He knows Ryuichi's name, no da! Hii!! You're Uesugi Tatsuha, aren't you? Tohma's brother-in-law, Eiri-san and Mika-san's younger brother, ne?"

'_I can't believe it. Sakuma Ryuichi – my God – knows who I am! I can die happy now!!_' "Hai, I'm Tatsuha. You're looking for my aniki, right? Come in. I'll get him for you." Still a bit frivolous at finally meeting his idol, Tatsuha ran into Eiri's study with a speed that could have made a leopard die in shame. Eiri peered through his glasses at the breathless Tatsuha. "Aniki…Sakuma-sama…Out there…See You…" was all Tatsuha managed. "What the hell are you saying? Can't you even form a sentence?" The younger glared at the remark. "Sakuma-sama is out there. He said he's here to see you."

'_Oh, shit!_' Eiri cursed inwardly. '_He's not here to beat me for 'wooing' Shuichi, isn't he? Better not_.' He quickly saved the file he was working on, put away his glasses and exited the study to greet the well-known Ryuichi. Tatsuha followed his brother, eyes shining at the thought of seeing his _God_ up close. Ryuichi turned around as soon as he heard Eiri's voice. He waved Kumagorou's hand joyfully. "Konnichiwa, Eiri-san. I'm Sakuma Ryuichi. Tohma wants me to fetch you so the three of us can have lunch together, no da! I think he wants to talk about something. Ne, Kumagorou?" Ryuichi made Kumagorou nodded its head. Something was wrong here, Eiri thought. He was sure Ryuichi was about to say 'we want to talk' instead of 'he wants to talk'. "That's so kind of you, Sakuma-san. I'll just take my coat and we can go."

As Eiri disappeared into his room, Tatsuha was left standing there looking at his idol in adoration. "Anou, Sakuma-sama…"

"Yes?"

"Can I…Can I…Can I have your autograph?" He stuttered.

Ryuichi smiled brightly. "Of course you can! Did you hear that, Kuma-chan? Tatsuha-kun wants Ryuichi's autograph!" Tatsuha handed Ryuichi a large pad and the latter cheerfully signed his name on it. "Arigatou!!!" Tatsuha was practically floating on cloud nine. Ryuichi did not only sign his name on the autograph pad. He drew two stick figures holding hands and named each of them Ryuichi and Tatsuha; and the word 'PikaPika!'. The moment was broken when Eiri emerged from his room, wearing a red shirt with black trousers and a matching black coat. He nodded at Ryuichi with a slight smile. "Let's go." Ryuichi nodded and waved Tatsuha goodbye.

* * *

Tohma was tapping the table lightly with his fingers. Ryuichi and Eiri should be there any minute now. A merry chime from the doorway caused him to look up and smile. "Tohma!" Ryuichi ran towards him and took a seat beside the smiling blond. Eiri bowed to his brother-in-law and took the seat opposite to the two of them. He was smiling but Tohma knew Eiri was nervous as hell. There were tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead despite the low temperature around them. A waitress took their order and Eiri suddenly found the polished floor interesting. "Eiri-san," Tohma called for his attention. He looked up, not saying anything. Upon doing so, he noticed Ryuichi's expression. The latter had dropped his childlike expression and was gazing at him with a sharpness that reminded Eiri of Shuichi. "Ryuichi and I are aware of your growing adoration towards our friend Shindou Shuichi," Tohma started. "There's something both of us feel we must tell you."

Eiri gulped. The lump in his throat suddenly increased by tenfold. '_This situation is so much like the scenes in my novels and those soap operas out there,_' he thought. A meeting like this was often held between parents and the lover of their son or daughter. Usually, the parents called said lover to warn him or her to stay away from their son or daughter. "What we want to say is that…" Tohma paused, looking sideways at Ryuichi. Eiri suddenly felt like crying. '_This is it! They're going to tell me to stay away from Shuichi. NOOO!!_' The two famous men in front of him suddenly smiled and said in unison, "Please don't give up on Shuichi!"

"…EH???" Eiri was surprised. Did he hear them right? "Don't give up… WHAT??"

Ryuichi chuckled good-naturedly. "We're asking you to not give up on Shuichi, if your feelings for him is genuine I mean." Tohma agreed. "That's right, Eiri-san. If you love him, please don't give up. He might act cold but know that Ryuichi and I have known him since forever. He's actually so much more than he seems." Eiri was still speechless. They wanted him to keep 'wooing' Shuichi while here he thought there were going to tell him to stay away from the superstar-in-the-making. It took him a while before what Tohma said clicked in his brain. "I know he's so much more than he seems. Something happened to him in the past, right? That's why he's acting like this, right?"

'_How very perceptive of him. I guess he really has something for Shu…_' Ryuichi thought. The older men smiled apologetically and shook their heads. "We can't tell you anything, Eiri-san. Shuichi should be the one telling you, not us." Their conversation was interrupted as a waitress brought them their orders. Eiri decided not to pursue the matter. When Tohma said he wasn't telling, then that's that. Whatever it was, Eiri would take their advice to his heart; that he would not give up on Shuichi. He'd show the younger man what love was all about. He wasn't a romance novelist for nothing, hey! And so the rest of their lunch was spent talking about nothing in particular.

Evening came sooner than Shuichi realised. He had fun singing and playing the guitar altogether, thanks to Suguru's brilliant idea. Still, his short conversation with Tohma earlier that day kept coming back to nag at the back of his head.

"_He's too much like the old you that it hurts, right?"_

Shuichi groaned, feeling frustrated. Why couldn't he forget Uesugi Eiri? Most of all, why was Eiri pursuing him? He had insulted the novelist's works, for God's sake! Truth be told, Shuichi did not hate Eiri's works. The man had a way with words. It was the theme of his novels that bothered Shuichi. Romantic love, for him, was not in his vocabulary. That type of love would never last. '_Just look at the world nowadays. You can count with your fingers the amount of people who can truly tell the differences between love and lust_,' thought Shuichi, walking towards the elevator and waited for it to come up.

"_I believe in them because I know I've fallen in love at the first sight with you when I first saw you standing there last night."_

No matter how hard he tried the image of Eiri's serious face when he said he loved Shuichi kept replaying in his mind. '_How could he love me when I can't even love myself? He doesn't even know anything about me!_' Yet, he couldn't get the novelist's face out of his mind. His smiling face was always there. A part of him was moved at Eiri's efforts but he tried his best to ignore the strange feelings building somewhere inside him.

DING!

Shuichi blankly stepped into the elevator, only to find Eiri smiling at him as soon as the door closed. He should have predicted this since Eiri had always been waiting for him at this hour of the day. Why would this day be any different? "Hi," greeted the novelist. "Shuichi didn't say anything. Eiri did not expect him to, anyway. For some reason, the singer felt his heart beating faster by the moment. Eiri was too close, granting him the unique scent that was a blend of deodorant and expensive perfume. "Had fun at work today? Here, I want you to read this." Shuichi watched as a piece of paper was thrust into his unsuspecting hand. It was the outline of Eiri's new novel project, "Shining". They had only one floor left before they reached their destination but suddenly, there was a power cut. They could hear some girls screaming with fear outside the elevator. '_Great, I'm stuck in here with this moron,_' Shuichi cursed inwardly. The dim light inside the elevator was enough for him to see what was written on the paper in his hand. He scanned the paper briefly before handing it back to Eiri. "A happy ending, Eiri? Your readers are going to be overjoyed. Still, your plot sucks."

"Oh, please! I know you actually like it."

"Don't push your luck, baka."

A long silence ensued. They had been stuck in there for about one hour and that's how long Eiri kept quiet before starting to talk about nothing at all. Shuichi wanted to yell at him to stop talking but the action died when he looked into the novelist's eyes. His pair of golden eyes shone with a little bit of innocence, joy and blind audacity. Shuichi knew what his own eyes reflected: nothingness. He wondered why Eiri would still look at him when he knew Shuichi wouldn't respond to whatever he was saying. Distant memories of the past flashed in his eyes, the time when everything was alright; the time when he did not have to force himself whenever he wanted to smile or laugh. But this time, nothing was like that at all.

Shuichi did not know what overcame him but there was a strange feeling deep within him, the feeling he knew but refused to fathom. Why was this stranger making him feel like this? Eiri stopped blabbering when he saw Shuichi staring at him. "Er…Why are you looking at me like that, Shuichi?" The younger man frowned. Everything around him seemed to vanish, leaving only the image of Eiri. His past seemed to be blurry by that time. He answered the question with another question, "Why do you look at me with those eyes, then?" The novelist frowned at the question. Eiri was surprised when a pair of hands reached up to cup his face but the look on Shuichi's face startled him more. The singer pulled his head down and before he knew what was going on, Shuichi was kissing him. If he wasn't too shocked, he would definitely kiss him back. A moment later, the singer pulled away slightly but his hands remained in their place, trapping Eiri in between them. When he spoke, their lips brushed lightly against each other.

Eiri didn't need a mirror to know he was blushing like mad. "Why do you insist on pursuing a dead man like me? What do you see in my eyes?" Shuichi's words were laced with sorrow, confusion and….nothingness? Eiri didn't undertand. But there was something different in Shuichi's eyes, something that looked like tremendous lamentations of loneliness and pain. Eiri didn't have time to respond to any of his questions because Shuichi was kissing him again. This time, he kissed him back.

**To Be Continued in Track 3: Butterfly**

Is that a cliffie? Heh heh… Cruel, ne?


	5. Butterfly

**A/N:** Sorry for taking so long to update this story and sorry if this chapter is short. I just need to get away from angst and…Well, I've been too busy reading other authors' Gravi and Ruroken fics lately. Is it just me or does Misao really act like Shuichi, and Aoshi is so much like Eiri? Hehehe… You guess it, I love YukixShuichi as much as I love AoshixMisao. This chapter is more like a flashback, on **Tohma** and ** Ryuichi**'s parts, at least. To tell the truth, I'm getting tired of evil, manipulative Tohma and poorly-treated Mika. How about sweet, friendly and caring Tohma for a change? Also, I figure I should start getting Ryuichi and Tatsuha together, don't you think? (wink!) Anyway, anyone interested in claiming a **Gravi fic challenge** or be a **beta reader** there? Please visit ** gravity. to Reviewers!**  
**LilBlue-Hedggie:** Don't worry. Eiri is STILL the _seme_. OHOHOHOHO!**  
sakura blossoms4:** Thankies.**  
Dominatio-555:** Yay, stalk me! I don't mind (wink!)**  
Hunter Hatake:** arigatou for the encouragement!**  
clari chan:** Well, being taller doesn't mean the person is stronger. Glad you enjoy this fic **  
Joonie:** Shuichi's so bloody vulnerable, he worse than a real girl. Getting him all angsty without Yuki being the cause is good sometimes, LOL.**  
aimee:** I kinda had a hard time imagining a genki Yuki too.**  
Sherry86:** Yes, I AM cruel. Mwahahahaha!

Enough talk, guys. Let's get serious. TO THE STORY!

** TRACK 3: BUTTERFLY**

_ "Tohma-oniichan! Tohma-oniichan!"_

_ Tohma spun on his heels to see a small bundle of energy with vibrant, pink hair running full speed towards him. He smiled a huge, genuine smile and prepared to lift the little boy as the latter jumped into his open arms. He swung the boy around before tucking him securely on his right shoulder. "Konnichiwa,Kawaii Chibi-chan!" He greeted the boy, who pouted playfully at the endearment. "Mou…Shuichi wa chibi janai, no da!" Tohma laughed again. "Nope, you're four and I'm sixteen. Therefore, you're a chibi-chan!" The two of them laughed gleefully together._

_ "Ne, Tohma-oniichan, guess what?"_

_ "What?"_

_ "Ryuichi-oniichan promised to teach Shuichi guitar, na no da!"_

_ Tohma raised an eyebrow at that. Was his best friend really considering teaching a four-year-old guitar? He bet Shuichi must have grovelled and whined all day to get Ryuichi to agree. After all, they both knew the little kid could pass for a child prodigy. He picked things up so easily. "That's great, Chibi-chan (-"Chibi janai yo!" Shuichi interrupted but was ignored-). You're going to be a great guitarist."_

_ Shuichi shook his head vigorously. "Iie. Shuichi doesn't want to be a guitarist, no da. Shuichi wants to have a great voice like Ryuichi-oniichan. Shuichi wants to be a vo- vo- whatever that is."_

_ The platinum blond chuckled. "It's 'vocalist'. Daijoubu, you're going to be someone with a great voice too. Maybe you can beat Ryuichi someday."_

_ "You think so, Tohma-oniichan?" Tohma nodded. "Yay! When Shuichi is older, Shuichi wants to win that competition like Tohma-oniichan and Ryuichi-oniichan and Noriko-oneechan entered, na no da!"_

_ "In time, you will, Shuichi. I know you will."_

_ "So, can Shuichi ask for something from Tohma-oniichan then?"_

_ "Ask away, Kawaii Chibi-chan."_

_ "Teach Shuichi keyboard, na no da!"_

_ Tohma rolled his eyes good-naturedly. 'I should have known,' he thought. "Oookay, but on one condition." Shuichi was looking at Tohma with sparkling violet eyes. There was no way the blond could deny the kid anything. The little boy nodded and waited for Tohma to continue. The blond smirked. "Only if you allow me to call you Chibi-chan all the time."_

_ "MOU! TOHMA-ONIICHAN!"_

…..

…..

…..

Tohma's journey to the past was broken as the electricity was restored. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked to stand by the window. The sun was setting. The previously azure sky was quickly turning lavender with bonus saffron streaks across the horizon. The President sighed tiredly. Lately, he found himself often dreaming about the past. One of the reasons was the knowledge of Shuichi getting colder each passing day. His once vibrant violet eyes were becoming duller and Tohma was worried. He knew Ryuichi was worried too but the other man preferred to hide it behind his childish façade. "_I hope to Gods Eiri is the one to pull Shuichi back from the personal hell he created,_" he silently prayed, closing his eyes.

Almost at the same time, his cell phone came to life and vibrated in his pocket, filling the silent, spacious office with Bad Luck's hit single, 'Shattered'. He smiled when he saw the name on the LCD. "Hello, Mika-koishii…Yes, I'm fine. Work's done and everything's fine too. I'll be back in half an hour….Yes, of course….Okay, I'll see you then...I love you too, dear. Bye!"

-

DING!

Eiri dashed out of the 'revived' elevator, dragging an unwilling Shuichi with him as he stormed to his black Mercedes. He ignored the confused look people were throwing them. "Let go of me, baka!" yelled Shuichi. He tried unsuccessfully to free his wrist from Eiri's grip. The novelist wasn't angry. In fact, the guy was smiling like a maniac. He pushed Shuichi into the car and get on the driver's seat. When Shuichi tried to escape, he turned the child lock on, resulting in a deadly glare from the young man. "What the hell do you think you're doing, moron? Let me out NOW!"

Eiri shook his head. "No. You and I are going to have a very, very, very long talk tonight." Shuichi groaned. He knew there's nothing more he could do when Eiri started the engine and drove away from the building. "Fine. Why the fuck are you smiling?" Eiri gave the younger man a wink. "You kissed me twice. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"What makes you think I meant anything by that?"

"Cut it out, young man. I'm not a dumb person, you know. You enjoyed it."

Shuichi huffed. "Like hell I did. You kiss like a little kid. Bleargh!"

Eiri pushed the pedal harder. In no time, he was already dragging a complaining Shuichi all the way up to his apartment. He was glad Tatsuha was not home by then. As soon the door slammed shut, Eiri pressed his lips against the singer's in a hot, passionate kiss. Shuichi squirmed to break free. When he opened his mouth to yell, Eiri took the chance to deepen the kiss. While his right hand kept hold of Shuichi's head to prevent the singer from pulling back, he slipped his other hand into Shuichi's shirt. Shuichi was as red as a tomato when Eiri broke the kiss. They were both panting and when Eiri saw the look on Shuichi's face, he smirked suggestively.

"Like a kid, huh?"

Shuichi pushed the novelist away, stomping to the nearby couch on his own free will. He tried to control his heartbeat. "What do you want from me!" He yelled, looking away from Eiri. Eiri's gaze softened as he kneeled before the younger man, taking both Shuichi's hands in his. "I want a chance to love you." Shuichi turned to look at him with unreadable expression he normally wore. He didn't say anything and Eiri continued, "I want to show you my love. I want you to learn to love me. I want to protect you, to be by your side. I just want to be with you."

No one said anything for a moment. Shuichi sighed, looking at Eiri. His blank expression was still intact. "You're going to regret it afterwards."

"No, I won't. I love you."

"You don't even know me!"

"Then give me a chance to get to know you!"

They looked at each other. Eiri released Shuichi's hands and looked down. "Onegai…" he said softly. Shuichi was having a battle with his inner self. A part of him wanted to run away but another part wanted so much to give the other man a chance. Eiri was persistent and stubborn, much like the person he once was. Making a decision, Shuichi cupped the novelist's cheeks lightly and brought his bowed head up to meet his gaze. He retrieved one hand and held up his index finger. "One month," he said.

Eiri blinked. "Eh?"

"I'll give you a month. If we can stand each other until then, I promise I won't push you away again. Is that okay?"

Eiri blinked again. He wasn't sure if he'd heard it right. Shuichi was giving him a chance! But a month was too…short. But, hey! A chance was still a month, right? "That's fine. I'll do my best to make it work!" The happy smile returned to his handsome face. "Are you hungry? I'll make us dinner if you're willing to wait." Shuichi shrugged. "Sure, whatever." The smile on Eiri's face grew and he practically ran to his kitchen to start making dinner, humming a happy tune all the while.

Eiri missed the chance to see a faint smile lingering on the singer's lips as he cooked.

-

Ryuichi held Kumagorou close to his chest as he sat alone in a park; the same park Shuichi met Eiri that one fateful night. His eyes were nothing like a child. Instead, they reflected an intense, mixed emotion. Ryuichi was happy when Tohma wanted to 'resurrect' Nittle Grasper, He was looking forward to competing against Bad Luck. He knew Shuichi felt the same way too. Ryuichi sighed as he thought about the younger vocalist. The latter's cold eyes flashed at the back of his mind, and he flinched at the picture. How the once vibrant orbs could became so cold? How could it get so lifeless?

'_If only I was there sooner… If only I knew…'_

Ryuichi buried his face in Kumagorou's soft fur. In his mind, he saw a bloodied scene; lifeless bodies were all around the place. A piercing scream filled the air: a scream Ryuichi never could forget for as long as he was alive. It was a scream of pain, sorrow, anger and desperation. Before he knew it, hot burst of tears were wetting the stuff bunny's fur and his shoulder shook in silent sobs. Too caught up in his emotion, he didn't realise he was no longer alone.

-

Eiri put away the dishes and joined Shuichi on the couch. The novelist started to babble when Shuichi silenced him with a finger on his lips and stared into Eiri's eyes intently. "Shuichi?" Shuichi caressed the novelist's lips, silencing him once again. "You said you want to show me your love…didn't you?"

A nod.

Shuichi leaned closer to whisper into Eiri's ear, "Then show me." Eiri gulped at the hoarse but suggestive whisper. "Show me your love, Eiri," purred Shuichi, lightly nibbling on the earlobe he was whispering into. Kami-sama…Eiri loved the sound of his name on Shuichi's beautiful lips. His heart was beating so fast that it felt like jumping out of the ribcage. For a moment, pleasurable sensations raced threw out his veins to gather at his groin. "Say my name again," Eiri whispered, just as huskily. He traced his fingers down Shuichi's back as his lips settled for Shuichi's delicate neck. "Eiri…" Eiri thought he'd died and gone to heaven when Shuichi started to unbutton his shirt and run his hands across his chest. "Eiri…"

'_If this is a dream, just kill me before I wake up._' Eiri couldn't get enough of Shuichi's silent moans. He was determined not to rush things but Shuichi was currently ridding him off rational thoughts. As gently as he could, he carried the young man into his room where there was more privacy and more comfortable atmosphere. The last thing on Eiri's mind before completely giving in to his desire was, '_I hope Tatsuha doesn't come home tonight._'

-

…..

…..

…..

_ Ryuichi was heading home when he saw Tohma and little Shuichi in the playground. He smiled heartily and ran towards them. Shuichi, who was in Tohma's arms, noticed the running boy and waved his hand gleefully. "Ryuichi-oniichan!" As soon Ryuichi reached the spot, Shuichi jumped into his arms and giggled, happy to be in the other boy's warm embrace. "Shuichi and Tohma-oniichan were just talking about Ryuichi-oniichan, na no da!" Ryuichi rolled his eyes. "Aren't you always? Let's walk home together."_

_ The three of them were neighbours. That was the reason they were so close. Shuichi stayed in Ryuichi's arms as they walked home. "Guess what, Ryu? Kawaii Chibi-chan just told me he wants to be a singer when he's old enough," Tohma broke the silence, earning an amused smile from Ryuichi. "Sou ka? Chibi-chan wants to sing to, huh?" Shuichi nodded his head, for once not complaining about the ridiculous nickname the older boys gave him. "Shuichi wants to be as good as Ryuichi-oniichan. And then Shuichi wants to be better than Ryuichi-oniichan so that Ryuichi-oniichan and Tohma-oniichan won't call Shuichi 'Chibi-chan' anymore!" The kid stated with joy while Tohma and Ryuichi laughed at the motions he displayed despite being cradled._

_ The little boy was so innocent, pure and sweet. Tohma and Ryuichi wished he never grew up and stayed the sweet little boy that he was. No other soul they knew was purer than that of Shuichi's. "What else do you want to be when you grow up, Shu-chan?" asked Ryuichi. A large, colourful butterfly flew past them before Shuichi could answer. Upon seeing the butterfly, Shuichi's eyes brightened in delight. "Butterfly!" he shouted happily, practically bouncing in Ryuichi's hold. Tohma and Ryuichi looked at each other and blinked in confusion. "Eh?"_

_ "Shuichi wants to be a butterfly, na no da!"_

_ Ryuichi suppressed the urge to laugh out loud at the statement. "You can't become a butterfly, Kawaii Chibi-chan." Shuichi shook his head. "No, not that. Shuichi wants to be free like Mr. Butterfly. You see, Mr. Butterfly is free to fly high and low and wherever he wants to go to. Mr. Butterfly is beautiful too! People love Mr. Butterfly because he's pretty, na no da. Dakara, Shuichi wants to be like Mr. Butterfly and people will love Shuichi, na no da!" _

_ Ryuichi and Tohma were rendered speechless. How a child as young as Shuichi managed to affect their emotions, Tohma and Ryuichi never knew. Maybe it was the trusting eyes that were so bright and lovely. Or maybe it was the honesty in the young boy's words. All they knew, everything that was Shuichi was completely lovable.How could a child so young be so wise as to compare what he wanted to achieve to a butterfly? The urge to protect the boy from the unclean grew in both their hearts. Ryuichi and Tohma ruffled Shuichi's bright pink hair lovingly as the boy beamed at the two of them. "You'll be the most beautiful butterfly, Shuichi. We know you would," said Ryuichi. "Your Tohma-oniichan and Ryuichi-oniichan will always be there to keep your delicate wings from being torn and protect you," added Tohma with watery eyes. _

_ Shuichi beamed. "Sugoi! Shuichi loves Tohma-oniichan and Ryuichi-oniichan so very much, na no da!"_

_ "We love you too, Kawaii Chibi-chan. We did, we do and we will always do."_

…..

…..

…..

More tears leaked from Ryuichi's eyes as the memory played itself in his mind. They had failed Shuichi. They had failed to protect the boy. The delicate butterfly wings were torn. The small creature's wings had fluttered miserably before the rest of its body settled onto the cold, dirty ground. When he had asked Shuichi about the butterfly, the young man had turned to look at him with the coldest gaze he'd ever seen and said, "_Mr. Butterfly is dead. He couldn't find live flowers to suck honey from because the sun won't shine anymore_. _The flowers were dead and Mr. Butterfly became weak and ugly. So, people hurt him because he was no longer pretty. He died a little while later_." Ryuichi was frozen then and there. The words had been delivered in a dull, monotonous tone of the living dead often seen in horror movies with zombies in them. Since then, Tohma and Ryuichi never got to see their Kawaii Chibi-chan anymore…

…because an eagle with a pair of cold eyes had taken the place of the pretty and delicate butterfly.

Ryuichi almost jumped out of his skin when a hand fell onto his shoulder. He wiped his eyes with Kumagorou's fur and looked up to the man whose hand was on his shoulder and blinked. "Tatsuha-kun?" The raven haired teen smiled, looking so much older than his age. Tatsuha was on the way home from a restaurant after dinner when he decided to take a walk around the lonely park. He was shocked to the core when he saw a familiar man holding a very familiar pink stuff bunny sitting on one of the benches. He had wanted to squeal and scream Ryuichi's name when he heard the soft, mournful sobs coming from the older man.

He was completely different from the Ryuichi he had met earlier that afternoon. Miraculously, the fan boy glee fled and was replaced by concern and worry for the famous singer. Ryuichi tried his best to wipe the remaining tears off his face but Tatsuha stopped his hands from doing so. Ryuichi snorted. "Ryuichi is so embarrassed, na no da. Tatsuha saw Ryuichi cry." The much younger man shook his head. "Nah, don't be embarrassed, Sakuma-san. Crying is normal occurrence, after all." The words were so comforting in Ryuichi's mind. Tatsuha was not disgusted by his unlikely behaviour. Maybe he was going to get a new friend.

"Here, Sakuma-san." He handed a handkerchief to Ryuichi. "Use this. I'm sure Kumagorou is about to weep because you'd just gotten snot all over his fur."

"Oi! Hidoi, na no da!"

Yep, he definitely was going to get a new friend.

** To Be Continued in Track 4: Defying Gravity**

Shuichi wa chibi janai: Shuichi is not little.

You know, listening to **Shallow Sleep** and **Angel's Tale** works wonders to melt my bloody writer's block. They set the mood. Hyde rocks my socks! Sorry for the lack of YukixShu actions in this chapter. I'm just trying to be fair to them.

Reviews, anyone? Pleeeeeez?


	6. Defying Gravity

**A/N:** Thank you very much for reviewing the previous chapter of '**And if the Sun Won't Shine…**'. I really appreciate your reviews. Thanks again for those who reviewed '**Please Keep My Heart**'.

**Response to Reviewers of Track 3**

**- Jwei Lih:** This is a cute fic? Wow, that's new…**  
- Cute-Girl-Kagome2001:** Er… Didn't you read the summary before reading this fic? I thought the first thing I put there was AU. Well, maybe you missed it. Still, yes, this is quite…AU and of course, loads of OOC  
**- Joonie:** Thank you very much for your review. That is probably the best review I've ever received. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Actually, it's not Ryuichi who influenced Chibi-chan with the 'na no da' thing. Hehehe… It's HIMITSU!  
**- Kitty in the Box:** Haido-sama! (squeals and faints) Anyway, thanks for the review. **- MonkeyGurl:** Ooh, another wonderful review! I'm so grateful. I'm glad that you like the whole Tohma and Ryuichi flashback thing. More of them will come soon XD  
**- LilBlue-Hedgie:** Na, I can't picture Shu-chan as a seme either…  
**- ichigo-chan:** Aww, I lurve your name! Is this soon enough (wink)

And to make up for the excessive angst in the previous chapter, I present you a lighter environment in this chapter! I hope you love the length of this chapter too And more glimpses of Shuichi, Tohma and Ryuichi's past for you to enjoy. Also, EirixShuichi , RyuichixTatsuha and TohmaxMika fluff ahead!

Now, to the PLOT!

**TRACK 4: DEFYING GRAVITY**

Evening had never felt so tense…

Three pairs of eyes stared pleadingly at Shuichi, who had just entered his apartment less than ten minutes ago. Shuichi averted his gaze from the pleading eyes to the boxes and suitcases on the floor just beside the sofa. He brought his gaze back up from the floor to stare at the owner of a pair of bluish-purple eyes; Ryuichi. He looked at Eiri, who was smiling sheepishly and at another guy who looked a lot like Eiri (Tatsuha!). Shuichi glared at Ryuichi and pointed to the kitchen. "You – kitchen - NOW!" With that, he stomped to his destination angrily, followed by Ryuichi.

BANG!

The door to the kitchen slammed shut with a loud bang, causing Eiri and Tatsuha to wince. They look at each other and shrugged. Ryuichi was looking at Shuichi like a lost puppy. His eyes were moist with what Shuichi suspected to be fake tears. "What are Eiri and that other guy doing here with all those suitcases and boxes?" Ryuichi nibbled on Kumagorou's ear lightly, looking more pathetic than ever. "That other guy is Tatsuha-kun. He's Eiri-san's little brother and my friend, na no da! Thieves broke into Eiri-san's apartment. It was a mess there so before everything is repaired, they can't live there, na no da. Dakara, Ryuichi invited them to live here…temporarily."

Shuichi was still glaring at the older singer. "Why didn't you suggest them to go to Tohma's? He's their family!" Ryuichi clutched Kumagorou tighter to his chest and pouted. "Tohma-chan and Mika-chan are married, na no da! It won't be nice to disturb them." Shuichi scoffed at that. "Disturbing them is bad but disturbing me is good?"

"Iie, Shu-chan. It's not like that, na no da! Tatsuha-kun is fun and Eiri-san is nice, na no da. They won't cause trouble and besides…"

"Besides?"

"Besides… Ryuichi is lonely, na no da…"

Shuichi's eyes twitched and softened at that. Guilt was scratching his heart incessantly. He knew Ryuichi didn't like silence very much and being the cold guy that he was, Shuichi didn't talk much. Maybe he shouldn't be too hard on Ryuichi. After all, Ryuichi was the one who constantly took care of him since he was little. "Alright, they can stay." Ryuichi's eyes brightened at once. He started to bounce up and down like a little kid on sugar high.

"Really? They can stay? Hontou ni?"

Shuichi nodded, admitting his defeat. Really, Ryuichi possessed a strong power of persuasion. "Hai, hontou. Just introduce me to this Tatsuha guy later." Ryuichi nodded and dragged Shuichi back to the living room where Eiri and Tatsuha were waiting for them. Although it had been a week since Shuichi agreed to become Eiri's 'lover', he had never met Tatsuha. From what he'd heard, Eiri's younger brother was a fan of Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck. Ryuichi plopped down beside Tatsuha as Shuichi gave them a tired glare. It took a while for Tatsuha to notice that the glare was actually directed towards him. He hastily stood up and bowed. "Hajimemashite, Uesugi Tatsuha desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu!" he politely introduced himself. In truth, his heart was squealing like a fan girl. '_Oo__, Kami-sama!__ I'm in the presence of two big stars!_' He seemed to forget the fact that his elder brother and his brother-in-law were also big stars. Shuichi nodded at him and looked at the suitcases and boxes on the floor. "Which is Eiri's?"

"That one and that one," Eiri answered, pointing to a huge navy-blue suitcase and a small black suitcase. Apparently, the boxes belonged to Tatsuha. Shuichi didn't say anything. He grabbed the suitcases and dragged them into a room. Eiri's eyes widened as he saw a small, carved wooden plate hanging at the door; the plate bore English words that said 'Shuichi's Hell' in large letters and '**Cross My Path Suffer My Wrath**' in smaller letters. Whoaaa! Shuichi had taken his stuff into _his_ room! "Shuichi! I knew you love me too!" He leapt with joy and ran after the vocalist, shutting the door behind him. Shuichi could be heard yelling "Get off of me, Eiri!" a few seconds later, much to Ryuichi and Tatsuha's amusement.

Tatsuha shook his head a couple of times and looked at his _God_. "I don't even want to know what they're doing in there, Sakuma-san." Ryuichi's eyes narrowed as he pouted. "Iiya! Don't call me that, Tatsuha-kun. Friends call each other by their first names, na no da! Call me Ryuichi, ne?"

"Demo… Demo…"

Ryuichi's face fell. "Tatsuha-kun doesn't want to be Ryuichi's friend, na no ka?" Tears started to form in his eyes and he sniffed.

Tatsuha waved his hands in front of the singer frantically. "No! No! No! Of course I want to be your friend, Sa—Er… Ryuichi." The teen was immediately awarded with a glomp and a high-pitch squeal. He almost fainted when Ryuichi launched himself onto him. '_I can die happy now!_'

-

"How long are you going to be here?" asked Shuichi, who was sitting up in his bed with his back against the headboard. Eiri was emptying his suitcases. His clothing was hanged in Shuichi's closet and his precious laptop now sat next to Shuichi's on the study table. Eiri pondered the question for a while. Honestly, he did not know when his apartment will be safe again. Also, he didn't know whether to curse or thank the thieves who broke into his house and messed everything up. He got to live with his love! How cool is that? "I don't know… Until everything's okay again, I guess." Shuichi shrugged at that. "How old is your brother Tatsuha, by the way?"

"Sixteen something. Why?"

"He looks awfully lot like you... I mean, older than his actual age."

Eiri rolled his eyes, switching his lap top on. "Of course he does. We're brothers, anyway. Besides, you shouldn't talk. You're not even related to Sakuma-san but you look awfully lot like him."

Shuichi winced uncomfortably. If Eiri did not have his eyes on the computer screen at that exact moment, he would have noticed the shadowed look on the singer's face. Soon, the room was filled with soft clicking of adept fingers against keyboard and rustles of papers. Eiri was typing his novel away while Shuichi sat in the bed, writing a new song. It looked as if they had been doing this thousand of times already; Eiri typing his story and Shuichi writing his song in comfortable silence. For a moment, Shuichi wondered if Eiri's hands actually got chips in them. He was typing so fast! "Anyone died in your story yet?" he asked, mocking the novelist with a smirk. Shuichi didn't even look up from his prestigious notebook. Eiri turned around for a brief moment and stuck his tongue out playfully. "Don't mock me, Mr. I'm-A-Famous-Superstar. I thought you knew my novel 'Shining' will have a very happy ending. No one dies; thank you very much." "Whatever you say, Mr. I-Think-I'm-Irresistable."

Once again, silence reined the room. They could vaguely hear laughter from the living room. It sounded like Ryuichi and Tatsuha were playing video games. Not like Shuichi minded, anyway. The silence, however, did not last long. Eiri suddenly stopped typing and launched himself backwards onto the bed. "Argh, I'm stuck! Damn story!" He settled his head on Shuichi's lap. Eiri expected Shuichi to push him off of him but Shuichi did not. He let Eiri's head lie on his lap and put his notebook away. "Problem with your story?"

Eiri nodded sadly. "You see, I don't know what title I should give to this new chapter.

"What's it about?"

"Well, Junichi obviously feels something for Erika. Still, he keeps pushing the poor girl away and denies whatever he feels for her. The hero says he doesn't need the heroine but in truth, he was falling madly in love with her."

"So, this chapter is about this Junichi guy and his insecurities, huh?"

"Yep."

'_Oh, Eiri is so gonna die!_' thought Shuichi. The plot seemed familiar to him. The names were also pretty obvious. Shuichi and Junichi; Eiri and Erika. He couldn't help but think that Eiri was actually writing about the two of them. Okay, maybe Shuichi was not falling madly in love with Eiri. Hell, the singer didn't even believe in love. But still…"Defying gravity…"

Eiri blinked. "Eh?"

"**_Defying Gravity_**, how about that as the title for that chapter?"

Eiri sat up and just stared at Shuichi. Was Shuichi actually helping him? "Why 'Defying Gravity'?"

"You said the chemistry between the two characters is strong. So, it's similar to gravity. Junichi is obviously trying to deny the unavoidable universal law. The act is called 'defying gravity', isn't it?"

Eiri mouth formed a little 'O'. "'Defying Gravity'… I love that. You're a genius, Shuichi!" With that, the novelist gave his lover a big hug and captured his lips in a kiss. What started out as a sweet, innocent kiss grew into a more passionate one. Shuichi had his fingers in Eiri's hair, returning the kiss in full force. Their tongues slid erotically against each other. A minute later found Eiri pinning Shuichi to the bed, their lips locked still in a sensuous kiss. Throaty moans of pleasure escaped both of them occasionally. The intensity of the kiss grew until the need of oxygen became unbearable and both had to swim back to the surface to breathe. "God Shuichi…I love you," Eiri mouthed against Shuichi's lips. He kissed the tip of the singer's nose and brought the kisses downward to his neck. "Eiri…"

And the lovers flew to the sweet land of eternal bliss together…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

Seguchi Mika stared at one of the photos on her husband's study table. It was a picture of a much younger Tohma and a much younger Ryuichi. Both of them had their arms around a very cute, pink haired boy. The boy had eyes like Ryuichi. Then, she looked at one of the posters hanging on the wall. Staring at the newest Bad Luck poster, she couldn't believe that the little boy in the picture and the vocalist in the poster were the same person. "Amazing how fast people change, eh?" She jumped at Tohma's voice. The blond NG President greeted his beloved wife with a kiss and stared at the poster Mika was looking at. "I was shocked too, you know. The once warm and shiny eyes had turned to these," he tapped the poster where Shuichi's eyes were. "Cold, dull and silent. How sad…"

Mika frowned. Shindou Shuichi; the boy Eiri claimed to be in love with. She looked at the old photo again. "What happened to him, Tohma? What happened to all of you?" By 'all of you', she meant Tohma, Ryuichi and Shuichi. Tohma smiled sadly, his eyes reflected pain and anger. "Gomen, Koishii. I'm in no place to talk about it. The only thing I can say is that…"

"What is it?"

"The only thing I can say is that it was too painful for him…For Ryuichi…And for me. It…It was not supposed to happen, Mika. It never should have happened!" Mika rushed to her husband's side as the usually composed man fell to his knees with his head in his hands. When Tohma's small frame started to shake with silent sobs, Mika cradled him like a mother does her child. "A twelve-year-old should never have seen that much blood, Mika! He should never have seen that much violence!" Mika gasped in shock. Whatever it was that happened, Mika didn't want to know anymore. Blood…Violence… She shuddered, holding Tohma close to her. "Hush, anata. Don't think about it anymore. Hush.." Tohma, however, only cried harder as waves of memories washed over him.

_ "Hurry up, Tohma!" 25-year-old Ryuichi ran as fast as his feet could carry him, followed closely by Tohma. They were both out of breath. Why must the mansion be in such a secluded area? They were getting closer to their destination. The police would be there soon but they must know what was happening in the mansion first. 'Chibi-chan, minna-san, please be okay!' They both thought. The sight that greeted them as they reached the gate was not expected… Never in their life had they seen something like this! "Kami-sama," Ryuichi fought the strong urge to vomit. They ran into the open door and were greeted with a piercing scream. Tohma and Ryuichi stopped dead in their track. They were both shaking by then. The one who let out the scream howled again. "To..Tohma… That voice…"_

_ "Shu-chan…Upstairs…"_

_ Ignoring the broken glasses, destroyed furniture and the endless pools of blood, Tohma and Ryuichi ran upstairs, where another howl was heard. "SHUICHI!" Their eyes widened upon entering the master bedroom. "Masaka…" Ryuichi fell to his knees, shaking his head; he tried to deny what his eyes were seeing. 12-year-old Shuichi cradled a middle-aged man and woman in his arms. His body shook as tears journeyed continuously down his bruised cheeks. Tohma reached out to the sobbing teen. Tears were freely falling down his face as he looked at the scene. The man and woman cradled close to Shuichi's chest were obviously dead. "Obasan… Ojisan..." _

_ Shuichi howled brokenly. "DOUSHITE! DOUSHITE, KAMI-SAMA, DOUSHITE!" Ryuichi scrambled to his feet and hugged the boy. Tohma did the same. "Shuichi, Shuichi, calm down…" They knew it was of no use. How could one be calm in this kind of situation? Soon, none of them said anything. They just sat there holding each other and wept. Even the group of police was rendered speechless as they reached this very scene._

"Doushite, Kami-sama, doushite?" Tohma whispered brokenly, still in Mika's arms. He clung to his wife until his tears subsided. "Arigatou, Mika-koi. I don't know what I would do if I don't have you." Mika shook her head twice. She was touched beyond words. "I don't know what I would do if I don't have you too. I love you so much, Tohma. If I could, I want to share your pain." Tohma smiled and kissed her forehead tenderly. "I love you too, Koishii. More than you could ever imagine." They held each other and bathed in the poignant silence that followed.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

"NOOOO! Not again!" Tatsuha wailed as his character died. Ryuichi was doing a victory dance with Kumagorou. "Nyahaha! I won again, Kuma-chan!" Both of them had been playing PS2 games for a while now. Ryuichi won almost all of their matches. Tatsuha sulked and pouted as Ryuichi bounced up and down joyfully. The teen then broke into giggles at Ryuichi's antics. He felt like the luckiest guy on earth. He never thought he could befriend the great Sakuma Ryuichi. Hell, he never even thought he'd had the chance to meet the guy in person! What's more? He was also living together with him and the great Shindou Shuichi. It was truly like a dream came true.

Ryuichi stopped bouncing when he noticed Tatsuha staring openly at him. He waved a hand in front of him. "Hello? Earth to Tatsuha!" The boy blinked a few times. "Daijoubu, na no ka?" Ryuichi asked sweetly. Tatsuha nodded. "I'm fine, Ryuichi." "Yokatta! Ne, Tatsuha-kun, are you hungry?"

"Umm… Not really."

"Ryuichi and Kumagorou are hungry, na no da. Shu-chan and Eiri-san must be hungry too. Come help Ryuichi prepare dinner, na no da!"

"Er.. You cook?"

Ryuichi nodded proudly, putting Kumagorou on his head. "Hai! Ryuichi doesn't really like American food, na no da. So, once in a while, Ryuichi cooked Ryuichi's own meal there. Shu-chan says he likes them, na no da!"

"Wow, you're so great, Sakuma-san…"

"It's RYUICHI!"

"Hai, hai… Gomen, Ryuichi."

"Saa, to the kitchen!"

Ryuichi asked Tatsuha to boil the water while he looked for the ingredients. Tatsuha eyed the idol wearily as he tiptoed on the kitchen stool to reach the upper cabinet. Just when he turned to check on the boiling water, he heard a mild squeak. Ryuichi was falling down. "Ryuichi!" He immediately sprung into action. Instead of falling onto the hard floor, Ryuichi fell onto Tatsuha. The action caused their lips to meet, accidentally. Ryuichi scrambled to his feet, face as red as a ripe cherry. Tatsuha was blushing madly too. For a moment, none of them said anything.

'_Eep__, I kissed Tatsuha-kun!_' thought Ryuichi.

'_Oh sweet Kami-sama… Sakuma Ryuichi kissed me!_' thought Tatsuha.

They stared at each other. The silence was then broken when a certain pink-haired singer entered the kitchen. "What the hell is happening here?" Eiri entered the scene a while later, blinking in confusion at the unlikely situation. "Is something wrong here?" Tatsuha and Ryuichi looked at each other for one brief second and laughed nervously. "Ha..hahaha… Nothing's wrong, really!" they said in unison. Shuichi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and pigs fly."

Ryuichi turned redder, if possible. "Shu-chan!"

Shuichi shot Tatsuha a knowing look. "I'll help Ryuichi here, Tatsuha-kun. You and Eiri go wait for us; watch TV or anything. You're guests, after all." Tatsuha nodded and grabbed Eiri to the living room with him. Once the door to the kitchen was closed, Shuichi smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Do I smell r.o.m.a.n.c.e in the air?" "Baka, Shu-chan! Ryuichi is twice Tatsuha-kun's age, na no da!"

"So?"

"It's not right, na no da! He could have passed for my son and you know it."

"Ah, well… When you're 90, he'll be 75. Age is just a number, Ryuichi."

Ryuichi said nothing. Sure, he felt so much at ease – so calm when Tatsuha is around. Did that mean he felt something for Tatsuha? Did Tatsuha feel the same too? They had only known each other for a short span of time but they were so comfortable with each other. "Ryuichi, you're putting too much salt in that curry!"

"Ara? Ahh, gomen!"

Shuichi sighed, his eyes betrayed no emotion. "Honestly, Ryuichi, you should stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself already. You've been alone too long, you know. You and Tohma worry too much. It's not healthy." Ryuichi glared half-heartedly. "Dream on, little guy. I won't stop worrying about you until I see a real smile on your face; until I hear you laugh a real laugh. Thing about you not believing in love is _bullshit_. You deserve to love and be loved too, you know" he retorted without a trace of childishness. Shuichi just looked at him for a few seconds. He 'tsk'ed and peeled more potatoes. "I don't. My hands are bloodied, stained with blood and you know it." Ryuichi, who had just tasted the curry nearly choked. "Don't talk like that, Shuichi!" he chided the younger man. "You're not at fault. Never!" They were then speaking in hushed tone. "You said you're not capable of being loved but Eiri-san loves you. Don't tell me you don't know that!"

"I don't know. It might just be an attraction, like gravitation; the pull of gravity."

"The pull of gravity you're trying to defy. Is that it?"

Silence…

"Open your heart, Shu. The sunlight cannot reach you if you don't open the damn window of yours!"

Again, there was silence… And then:

"It's boiling."

"Huh?"

"Your curry. It's boiling."

"Nani? Kusou! I haven't added the potatoes yet!"

The door to the kitchen creaked open suddenly, revealing a worried Eiri and a sheepish Tatsuha. "Is something wrong in there?" the former asked.

"Everything's fine," Shuichi and Ryuichi answered simultaneously. Eiri and Tatsuha shrugged and retreated back to the living room. "How's your album, na no da?" Ryuichi switched to a lighter topic, knowing he won't win the angst war with Shuichi anytime soon. The childish glint returned to his voice. "I have five more songs to go. Tohma wants us to sing a newer version to your song, Sleepless Beauty, for the bonus tracks. He made Suguru and Hiro arrange the new beats for it."

Ryuichi giggled. "I know that, na no da," he said in a singsong voice.

Shuichi narrowed his eyes at that. "Wait a second; were you the one who suggested that to Tohma?" Ryuichi giggled some more. "Mine and K's, actually. C'mon, I know how much you love that song!"

"Well, a certain Nittle Grasper vocalist once told me the song 'Sleepless Beauty' was written for me. It would be ungrateful to not adore it, don't you think?"

Ryuichi had to laugh at that. Shuichi was loosening up. He knew Eiri could lighten Shuichi up. It looked like they'd made the best decision, after all. "Too true, Shu-chan. _Tooku__ de me o hikarasete.__ Mezameru monotachi matte iru_," he sang. Shuichi joined in, "_Yoru__ no jouheki sasowarete, utsurisumu mure no nukegara ni_."

In the living room, Tatsuha and Eiri listened to Ryuichi and Shuichi. Tatsuha was practically drooling. "Waa… I'm actually hearing the great Sakuma Ryuichi and Shindou Shuichi singing live! Sugoi!" Eiri smacked his brother on the head. "You're acting as if you don't know them already." The younger glared. "Excuse me for acting like a typical fan boy, Mr. Novelist-Whose-Lover-Is-A-New-Famous-Superstar." "Honestly, Tatsuha, you're such a depraved monk."

"Well, at least I'm Bi and you're gay. Hah!"

Eiri smirked, raising one eyebrow at the simple statement. "Who said I'm gay?"

"Oh, you're not?"

"Of course I'm not. Not gay, not homosexual."

"Really? Then what are you, o-beloved aniki?"

"I'm Shuichi-sexual, thank you very much."

O.o ". . . . . Right…" Tatsuha didn't know how to answer to that. Damn his brother and his twisted sense of humour ToT . A single picture frame on the TV caught his attention. "Oi, aniki, look at that." Eiri followed his brother's gaze. His eyes widened upon seeing the picture. It was of a very young Ryuichi holding a very little Shuichi. In the picture, Shuichi was smiling brightly. Little Shuichi was holding Kumagorou while Ryuichi was holding him. They looked so happy. "Kawaii!" Again, Tatsuha's fan boy instinct kicked in. Eiri frowned at the picture. '_Why aren't you smiling like that anymore, Shuichi?_' His frown deepened. '_What happened to you? Who was the one responsible for your change?_'

The questions, however, were left unanswered.

"Eiri-san! Tatsuha-kun! Dinner's served, na no da!"

"Hai!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 

At least a hundred miles away, a man with dark-brown hair and cold green eyes flipped through the **Starz**** Weekly** magazine, stopping only when he came across an article on Bad Luck. His eyes were steadily fixed on the large picture of Shuichi in there. His cold, green eyes softened and his emotionless expression turned into a pained one. A few drops of tears wetted the smooth texture of the paper… "Shuichi…"

**To Be Continued in Track 5: Resurrection**

Dun, dun, dun! Who could that man be? Heheheh… I am such a cruel author, ne? Nittle Grasper fans, be alert! Await their big appearance in the next chapter!

For now…Umm..Reviews, anyone?


	7. Interlude 01: Valentine's Day

**"AND IF THE SUN WON'T SHINE…"**  
**VALENTINE'S DAY INTERLUDE**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_"And even if the sun refuses to shine…_

_Even if romance ran out of rhyme…_

_You would still have my heart_

_until__ the end of time._

_You're all I need;_

_my__ love, my valentine…"  
_**- My Valentine – Martina McBride –**

Pink had never been Uesugi Eiri's colour. Well, that was until he met his lover, Shindou Shuichi. Eiri found himself loving the singer's vibrant pink hair very much that he spent most of the time he should use for sleeping to run his fingers in the thick, pink tresses. To him, Shuichi was the most beautiful rose in the world. When Shuichi wrinkled his nose in disgust at the statement, Eiri simply brushed it off. This very day, the colour pink was even more special than before. Why?

It was February 14; St. Valentine's Day.

Of course, being the famous romance novelist that he was, Eiri planned to celebrate a grand day with Shuichi, without the interference of a certain raven-haired youth, or an overgrown child, or a smiling idiot, or an overprotective witch, or anyone for that matter. No one was going to destroy his day! Tatsuha and Ryuichi were nowhere to be found, considering Eiri had bribed them with exclusive tickets to the amusement park in order to get them to leave the house. Shuichi was still at the studio with his band mates. K had threatened to shoot their heads off if they did not finish at least a song that day. Eiri had put his lap top away for a change and was decorating the apartment he shared with Shuichi, Ryuichi and Tatsuha with the colour red. Red; the colour of passionate love – was perfect in Eiri's mind. Hiding the present he'd bought earlier for his young lover, he headed to the kitchen.

The fans of Uesugi Eiri would kill to get a picture of how he looked then. There Eiri was, in the kitchen, wearing a red sleeveless shirt (body-hugger) and tight, black leather pants and…A PINK FLORAL APRON! Woot! Eiri had all the ingredients he needed to make a perfect homemade Valentine's Day chocolate. Humming to Bad Luck's 'The Rage Beat', Eiri stirred the melted chocolate on the stove. The sweet smell of black chocolate filled the air. Since Shuichi loved sweet things (which was weird considering his stoic personality), Eiri made sure to put enough sugar or maybe a little bit more than normal. On the kitchen counter was a large heart-shaped mould. While waiting for the chocolate, the handsome novelist wondered what his lover was doing that very moment…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"What's that in your bag, Shuichi?" asked a curious Hiro. Indeed, Shuichi's yellow backpack looked too stuffed. Shuichi shrugged nonchalantly, tuning his guitar and running his eyes over the new lyrics he wrote. Sakano looked over the singer's shoulder and blinked. "Anou, Shindou-san… That's not the song we're going to practise today, is it?" Shuichi glared, sending Sakano across the room like a whirlwind. He folded the lyrics and shoved it in his pocket. "No, of course not. Oi, Suguru! Play the new beat again, would you? I want to get the lyric and melody done." Suguru nodded and grinned, "Aye, Captain Shindou!" Hiro waited for a while before joining Suguru with his electric guitar. Shuichi then joined in with his acoustic guitar. Sakano had tears running down his face at the beautiful melody while K was grinning like a maniac.

This new song was going to rock the world! Shuichi was going to write the song in three versions; Japanese, English and Spanish. It was no doubt going to be a blast. Once every five minutes throughout the rehearsal, Shuichi shot random glances at his backpack. '_Eiri__ had better appreciate this or I'll be damned for all the efforts I've thrown!_' Click! All music stopped. Shuichi raised an eyebrow at the feel of hard, cold metal at his temple. K was furiously pressing his automatics against the vocalist's temple. "Pay attention, young man," he said in English. Shuichi rolled his eyes and answered in English, "Relax, K. I know what I'm doing. Get that filthy gun away from me."

"DID YOU JUST SAY MY GUN IS FILTHY!"

"Actually, it's not filthy. It's super, duper disgustingly filthy."

"WHY YOU -"

Everone sweatdropped. Hiro smirked and looked sideways at Suguru. "Are you sure they're talking about actual guns here?" he whispered into the keyboardist ear. Suguru snorted and covered his mouth with his hands to keep from laughing his ass off at the comment. "I don't know. K could be quite clueless sometimes."

"Sure thing."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Eiri went through the decoration once again, making sure everything was perfect. Tatsuha and Ryuichi would not be home until midnight. They called and said something about a special show or something being held at the amusement park. "Wine – checked. Chocolate – checked. Gifts – checked. Table – checked. Light – checked. Everything – checked. Okay, Eiri. You've done it beautifully!" With that thought in mind, Eiri threw the apron he was wearing onto the kitchen stool and headed for a quick shower. Eiri hoped Shuichi would like what he'd done. The latter had been extra secretive the past couple of days, locking himself in his practice room and all.

When Shuichi came home an hour later, he was surprised to find his apartment dark and silent. With Eiri, Tatsuha and Ryuichi around, silence was almost impossibly available these past few days. "Tadaima…" He called out cautiously. Maybe Tatsuha and Eiri had gone home and Ryuichi was sleeping. A slight tinge of disappointment coursed through his heart. He glanced sadly at his backpack and switched on the light… and blinked. He had never seen his apartment so red! Petals of red rose were scattered all around the floor, creating a magnificent surrounding. His black couch was covered with red, satin cloth. Just as he closed the door, the light went out again. A single candle was suddenly lit, startling Shuichi. It was then that he realised the curtain was drawn and the apartment was bathed in ethereal moonlight. A lone figure that was holding a remote control and a red candle leaned against the wall before him. "Eiri?" The figure took a few steps closer. Indeed, it was Eiri.

The novelist's eyes were shining with pure love and adoration. He took Shuichi's hand and kissed the back of it before leading the singer to the dining room. He lit scented candles along the way. Although Shuichi's face was indifferent, he was totally awed inside. "A special dinner for a special someone," Eiri whispered huskily into Shuichi's ear, sending the air vibrating excitedly. They sat facing each other and ate in silence. Well, Shuichi was eating okay but Eiri was simply playing with the utensils. He was staring at the love of his life.

"You're not eating."

"I love watching you eat."

A light blushed crept across his face and vanished just as fast as it appeared. Eiri, of course, noticed it. He chuckled and ate his share of dinner. Shuichi was impressed. Eiri had done an excellent job with the food. It felt almost like eating out in a five star hotel. After the dessert, Eiri led Shuichi to the living room and they both sat comfortably on the couch. "So, did you love the dinner?" Shuichi smirked. "Well, I don't know…"

"Shuichi…"

"I'm just kidding, you idiot. Of course I love it."

Shuichi was rewarded with a hug and a chaste kiss on the lips from the grinning Eiri. Eiri then took a medium sized teddy bear from behind the couch and handed it to Shuichi. The bear was holding a big heart-shaped box and on top of the box was a much smaller box of the same shape. "Happy Valentine's Day, love." Shuichi took the gift. His lip curved into a small smile. "Thanks." The biggest box contained a large, beautifully decorated chocolate with the word 'Happy Valentine's Day My Love' written on it. The content of the smaller box triggered something in Shuichi's heart.

"So, do you like it?" asked a nervous Eiri.

Shuichi said nothing. It was a beautiful bracelet; a charm bracelet that bore the word 'Eiri loves Shuichi'. He closed his eyes and put it on. "It's… It's beautiful." Eiri exhaled a breath of relief. For a moment there he thought Shuichi was going to say he loathed bracelets. The singer kissed Eiri's lips lightly and turned to his backpack. He took out a white version of Kumagorou, a similar heart-shaped box and a square, almost flat box. Shuichi jumped off the couch and ran to his room. He returned to the living room with his guitar. Eiri blinked, still holding the plush white Kumagorou and the gifts.

Shuichi motioned for him to be quiet and played the guitar. Eiri listened closely to the lyrics that followed a while later:

_I can be an asshole of the grandest kind  
I can withhold like it's going out of style  
I can be the moodiest baby that you've ever seen  
And you've never met anyone  
Who is as negative as I am sometimes_

_I am the wisest man you've ever met.  
I am the kindest soul with whom you've connected.  
I have the bravest heart that you've ever seen  
And you've never met anyone  
Who's as positive as I am sometimes._

_You see everything, you see every part  
You see all my light and you love my dark  
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed  
There's not anything to which you can't relate  
And you're still here _

_I blame everyone else, not my own partaking  
My passive-aggressiveness can be devastating  
I'm terrified and mistrusting  
And you've never met anyone as,  
As closed down as I am sometimes._

_You see everything, you see every part  
You see all my light and you love my dark  
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed  
There's not anything to which you can't relate  
And you're still here _

_What I resist, persists, and speaks louder than I know  
What I resist, you love, no matter how low or high I go _

_I'm the funniest man that you've ever known  
I am the dullest man that you've ever known  
I'm the most gorgeous man that you've known  
And you've never met anyone  
Who is as everything as I am sometimes_

_You see everything, you see every part  
You see all my light and you love my dark  
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed  
There's not anything to which you can't relate  
And you're still here _

_And you're still here  
And you're still here..._

When the song ended, Eiri had his eyes opened wide. It was then that he noticed the plush bunny was homemade, which meant Shuichi had sewn it for him. That explained his secretiveness the past couple of days! Opening the flat, square box, Eiri couldn't help but gasp. A necklace sat elegantly inside the velvet gift box. The pendant was a simple rectangular gold plate with the letters 'UESS' engraved on it. Eiri swallowed a lump he didn't realise had risen in his throat. Shuichi had done all these for him. HIM: Uesugi Eiri. The words the vocalist said to him before echoed at the back of his head:

_"I don't know why they worship your works. They're downright foolish._"

_"What in the name of seventh hell are you doing! Do you wish to fucking die, you idiot!"_

_"I figure we should start talking before either of us starts sneezing and spreading germs all over my apartment."_

_"A happy ending, Eiri?__ Your readers are going to be overjoyed. Still, your plot sucks."_

_"Don't push your luck, baka."_

_"Why do you insist on pursuing a dead man like me?"_

_"Like hell I did. You kiss like a little kid. Bleargh!"_

_"Whatever you say, Mr. I-Think-I'm-Irresistable."_

All the harsh words…

All the glares…

All the coldness…

Eiri knew then that Shuichi cared for him; that Shuichi loved him. The vocalist might never say it out loud but for Eiri, this was enough. He would forever treasure the Valentine's Day gifts he received this very day…

…Because Eiri loves Shuichi.

And a single tear of happiness trickled down his smiling face as Shuichi helped him put on the necklace.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Eiri."

**O**** W A R I**

**Disclaimer: **Gravitation is not mine. The song 'Everything' is sung by Alanis Morissette. Please note that the lyric has been altered to suit the story. Where it says 'man', it should originally be 'woman'. **Track 5: Resurrection** will follow soon. Please review!


	8. Resurrection

**_RESPONSE TO REVIEWERS OF TRACK 4 AND V-DAY INTERLUDE  
_****ichigo-chan** Arigatou, na no da! Here's Track 5 for you  
**clari**** chan:** I'm glad you still like the interlude. I know Shuichi seems too sweet in it but hey… Too much angst kills the sap . Hehe…  
**Azure:** Thank you and please keep reading!  
**Kitty in the Box:** Taki won't appear until the next chapter, at least. Expect a fighting scene when he appears (wink)  
**Kimika** Thanks a lot for the fav! Here, I updated. Hope you like it.  
**LilBlue-Hedggie** Hehehe… I like the 'Shuichi-sexual' part to!  
**Ricastar** Here's an update!

Thank you for still reading AitSWS. I hope you'll like this chapter. As promised, more secrets will be revealed. The songs '**Resurrection**', '**Possessed**' and '**This Feeling**' are MINE so pardon the _crappiness_ of the lyrics. I've also changed my mind and decided to NOT include Ayaka in this story. So, it's gonna be **HiroxSuguru**! **Warning:** This chapter has less Yuki in it. Sowie!

Introducing Shindou Aoshi in  
**TRACK 5: RESURRECTION  
**- Nittle Grasper Revival the Birth of 'Yuki Eiri '-

'_Na no na no da! Don't forget to turn to Channel 9 at 10 in the morning today, Tatsuha-kun!_'

That was said by Ryuichi three hours ago. Now, three hours later, Uesugi Tatsuha was practically gawking at the TV. The programme he was watching had long since ended but he was still sitting there, looking at the TV or rather; past the entertainment box. Even Eiri, who was typing in Shuichi's study, wondered how the apartment could be so silent when there was Tatsuha in the living room. "Sweet mother of pearl… I don't believe this… Un-_fucking_-believable! WAHAAAAAAAA!" Tatsuha whooped in complete joy when everything clicked in his mind. He made a mental note to glomp his brother-in-law senseless the next time he saw the guy. Just a few moments ago, Tohma, Noriko and Ryuichi officially announced the reunion of Nittle Grasper. "NG WILL BE BACK! NG WILL BE BACK! WOOHOOOO!" He started to do a merry jig, forgetting the fact that he should already be doing his homework. "Bad Luck rules the Pop Chart and Nittle Grasper rules the Rock Chart! Ooh, life is fantastic! Go Shuichi-san! Go Ryuichi!"

"Arigatou, na no da!"

Tatsuha jumped at the merry voice from the doorway. He turned around and came face to face with a bouncing Ryuichi. "Ryuichi is so happy, na no da! Tatsuha-kun loves us! Yay, Kumagorou!" The singer threw his pink bunny into the air gleefully. Tatsuha, who was blushing furiously, scratched the back of his head. '_Actually, I'd rather say 'I love you' and your exact words should be 'Tatsuha-kun loves me!' instead of 'Tatsuha-kun loves us!'. Ooh, Ryuichi…_' thought Tatsuha, sighing dreamily. Ryuichi proceeded to tell Tatsuha about a TV show Nittle Grasper was going to be on with Bad Luck. He wanted Tatsuha to come along and of course our dear Tatsuha said 'yes'! "We're going to sing a brand new song!" cried Ryuichi excitedly. Tatsuha's eyes glazed over with admiration. Finally, Nittle Grasper's new song! "I'll be looking forward to it, Ryuichi," the raven-haired teen uttered. Ryuichi's smile, if possible, widened.

The moment was broken when the phone rang out of the blue. Ryuichi rushed to answer it, thinking it was Tohma or even Shuichi. "Moshi moshi, Sakuma Ryuichi and Shindou Shuichi's residence!"

"Er…Sakuma Ryuichi-san?" came a hesitant voice from the other side of the phone. The gleam in Ryuichi's eyes died instantly. That voice… Impossible… Tatsuha blinked at his change in expression. Ryuichi looked more serious than his stage profile. The next Tatsuha knew, Ryuichi slammed the receiver angrily. The singer took a deep breath to calm his self down. "Ryuichi, are you okay?" Ryuichi snapped out of his short trance and flashed a shaky smile before the childlike glint returned full force into his eyes. "Daijoubu, Tatsuha-kun. Ne, let's get something to eat, shall we? How about the new vanilla ice cream?"

"Vanilla ice-cream? Yum! Let's raid the kitchen!"

"Na no na no da!"

Just when the two made their way to the kitchen, a frustrated cry was heard from Shuichi's study. "Argh! Damn this story to hell! I'm _fucking_ stuck!" Tatsuha and Ryuichi sweatdropped. Oh, poor Eiri…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Sakano was pacing around the studio with sweats continuously trickling down his face. "What are we going to do? Nittle Grasper is back! And we still have to compete with ASK. Oooh! What will happen! What will happen!" K finally got tired of the producer's pointless rambling and pointed his gun to the poor man's temple. "Shut up or die." Sakano promptly shut up. "There's nothing to worry about," said Shuichi, who was playing a light tune with his acoustic guitar. "Nittle Grasper and ASK are different from us. We have our share of fans, so why worry?" Suguru seconded the statement. "True. Nittle Grasper doesn't have guitarists, do they? We're so different."

Hiro smirked and nodded. "Like they said. C'mon, Sakano-san! You worry too much!" Sakano sighed in defeat and adjusted his spectacles. At that exact moment, Shuichi started playing a new tune. Hiro and Suguru looked at each other while K looked amused. It was a beautiful tune: melancholic yet bittersweet. Then the vocalist started singing along:

_What is this feeling I have in me?  
It's something I never did foresee.  
It's making my heart beat like crazy  
I don't know how and when it comes to be..._

A collective gasp was heard but Shuichi ignored it point blank.

_Why does this feeling reside in my heart?_

_Feels like I never want us to ever be apart_

_It's making me play my so-called righteous part_

_I don't know how and where it starts..._

Hiro and Suguru listened attentively to the new melody. They were awed at the lyrics. Their Shuichi was not one who writes romantic lyrics, that's for sure. But this new piece was so different from their last song. It was a complete opposite to 'Possessed'! Sakano looked like a gaping fish. K had closed his eyes and nodded at the melody and lyric every now and then.

_This feeling...  
A part of me feels like letting it go.  
A part of me feels like letting it flow.  
I don't know what I really want to.  
Someone, please tell me what to do!  
I never felt like this before.  
It's sweet but why do I hurt more?  
Someone, please set me free!  
Tell me of this feeling I have in me._

TING!

The beautiful melody came to an end when one of the strings broke. Shuichi shrugged and searched for a new string. "That was so…" Hiro trailed off, not knowing how to describe the song Shuichi just played. "Marvellous… So very beautiful," Suguru provided, still awed. Sakano was not able to say anything but if you look at him, you'd see the sparkling stars he had in his eyes. K clapped his hands a couple of times. "Fujisaki's right. That was beautiful, Shuichi! What's it called?"

"…'This Feeling'."

Hiro raised an eyebrow at that. "Any special meaning behind that particular piece?"

Shuichi glared. Truthfully, the song was written only two days ago and he came up with the melody the previous night. He was observing a sleeping Eiri when the song came to life. He was just ending the chorus when the string broke and it felt like a bad omen or something… He'd been feeling…weird. It was like something big was going to happen. Not to mention his dreams – or nightmares, to be exact. The nightmares were going haywire.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The door to the studio creaked open after three knocks. "Hello, everyone," greeted Tohma. Sakano and Hiro bowed respectfully. K and Fujisaki merely nodded in acknowledgement. Shuichi, on the other hand, simply looked bored. "I'm sorry for interrupting your practice session but I need to speak with Shuichi," he stated, looking at K. The manager grinned and held up a victory sign. "No problem there, Tohma." Shuichi groaned and followed Tohma out of the studio. "What's so important that you can't wait at least until lunch?" the annoyed vocalist fired a question as soon as he helped himself onto the couch in Tohma's office. He fiddled with a small cushion there, muttering curses under his breath. Tohma handed him a glass of orange juice and sat down beside the boy.

"Loosen up, Shuichi. You've been working too hard on the album."

"To beat you guys, I must."

Tohma tensed at that, earning a mocking smirk from Shuichi. "I'm just kidding, Tohma. Singing is not about winning. It's about sending out emotions. Anyway, I don't think it's time to talk about that. Now, what is it that you _really_ want to tell me?" Tohma's smile vanished completely off his face. He didn't know how Shuichi would take this new bit of information he just obtained. "Ryuichi called."

"And?"

"…He called your apartment."

"What the hell, Tohma? Ryuichi lives there _with me_! Why would he call _our_ apartment?"

"No, not Ryuichi. I mean, _he_ called your apartment," Tohma emphasised the word 'he'.

Shuichi was still confused. "Who's _he_?"

"…He's back, Shuichi."

"Who…" Shuichi trailed off. His confused expression transformed into a shocked one. "No. _No_. Tell me it's not _him_. Tell me it's not _him_, Tohma!"

Tohma shook his head. "I wish I could, Shu. I've called the airport to ask if there was someone with _that_ name. He's arrived yesterday."

Glimpses of shining brown hair and sparkling green eyes washed all over Shuichi, sending shivers up his spine. "…No…"

"Aoshi's back."

"… Aoshi-sensei... No…"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Sakuma Holding stood proudly in a middle of the busy city of Tokyo. It was a magnificent skyscraper, designed to look like a gigantic hourglass. All the glasses and mirrors reflect the beautiful sky and the city. Ryuichi parked the red Porsche he drove in front of the building, ignoring admiring gasps people were giving him upon seeing the car. He was wearing a dark blue sunhat and a pair of sunglasses in similar shades so that people won't recognise him as THE Sakuma Ryuichi. Kumagorou was nowhere to be seen for Ryuichi preferred to be perfectly adult, just this once. He took the elevator to the tenth floor and headed for a table just outside an office door. "Excuse me, Miss. Is Mr. Hoshino Shouji in?"

The woman, obviously a secretary, nodded. "Yes, the president is inside. Is there anything I can help you with, Sir?" Ryuichi smiled and took off his disguise. The secretary gasped in shock. "Sa..Sa..Sakuma-sama!" "Please, inform Hoshino-san I'd like to meet him."

"Right away, Sir!" She informed the president with the intercom and motioned for Ryuichi to go inside. Ryuichi bowed gratefully and went in. He was immediately greeted by a middle aged man with black, greying hair. "Ryuichi-sama!" The man practically shouted. He shook the singer's hand vigorously. "It's been such a long time since I last saw you and look! You're still as charming as ever!" Ryuichi laughed in a good way. "Thank you, Hoshino-san. You're right; it's been a long time. I see you've taken a good care of this company." The older man's eyes stated to water. "It's the least I could do to honour your family, Ryuichi-sama." His eyes looked sad. Ryuichi patted Shouji's shoulder to calm the emotional man down. "Let's sit down and talk."

The secretary, whose name Ryuichi found out to be Kenji Aiko, served them tea. Ryuichi preferred a juice but he was not complaining. "Ryuichi-sama, I still think you should take over. This company needs to be under a Sakuma." Ryuichi shook his head twice. "No, Hoshino-san. Not yet. You know I still have my career."

"Ah, yes. Nittle Grasper is officially back now, I see. I wish you the best of luck, Ryuichi-sama." Ryuichi thanked the man. "How's Shuichi-sama, by the way? My daughter is crazy about his band, Bad Luck. Both of you are really born for music."

"Shuichi's fine, physically at least. Speaking of which, the real reason of my visit is him."

"Oh?"

"Look, Shuichi would practically kill me if he knows about this but I want you to arrange a few bodyguards for him. I had Tohma do the same but I figured a few more won't hurt."

Now, Shouji looked really concerned. "That can be arranged alright but what's happened, Ryuichi-sama? Is someone trying to hurt him?" Ryuichi shook his head. "I don't know. All I know is that the return of Aoshi to Tokyo could not be good. No, not good at all."

"Aoshi? As in, Shindou Aoshi?"

"That's him."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

_ "We trusted you, Aoshi-sensei! I trusted you! How could you!" shrieked a twelve-year-old Shuichi. He sounded nothing like his age as he spoke. A handsome 22-year-old man with shiny dark-brown hair and charming green eyes laughed out loud. It was obvious that he was drunk. "Aw, c'mon Shuichi. What harm would it bring?" he slurred, taking a step closer to the enraged boy. "You knew my family is in danger and you spill our secret to our enemy! Why?" Aoshi laughed again. He didn't answer the boy but Shuichi's eyes widened as he scanned the room. A few 10000 Yen notes were scattered around the room, as if they were thrown around by careless hands. Aoshi, still laughing, collapsed onto the floor. Shuichi couldn't believe his eyes._

_ "Aoshi-sensei…You… The money… Damn you! We trusted you, we loved you. But you.. You… YOU SOLD US!" The boy kicked the laughing man with all his might and ran out in angry tears. He had to get to his house – fast! "Please, let minna-san be safe!" He ignored Aoshi's drunken yelling of his name and continued running. "Shuichi!"_

_ "Shuichi!"_

"Shuichi!"

Huh?

Shuichi blinked a few times. Eiri was worriedly waving his hands in front of his face. The vocalist forgot he was actually talking to Eiri. "Are you okay, Shuichi? I was scared shitless for a moment there. You looked so pale!" Shuichi shook his head and sighed. "I'm okay. (Eiri didn't look convinced) Really, I'm okay Eiri. What were you saying just now?" Although Eiri knew Shuichi was probably thinking about his past or something troubling, he decided to put the matter aside. He didn't want to get into a shouting match with his lover again. "I met my editor, Mizuki, today. She said I should come up with a pseudonym – a pen name for my future books. I don't really get it but she said it's important, something about new company policy or whatever. The problem is I don't know what name I should use. Damn, I love my name!" Eiri ended his sentences with a huff. True, he loved his name, especially when said by Shuichi. Oops, there he was thinking with his hormones again. Grr…

Shuichi studied Eiri closely; from the gorgeous golden locks, gleaming golden eyes, delicate fair skin, sexy lips, charming smile… The list went on and on. He was a picture of innocence. It was as if Eiri was surrounded by a beautiful white light that illuminated his beauty even more.

It reminded Shuichi of snow: white, soft to the touch – beautiful.

Shuichi smirked and wrapped his hands around Eiri's neck. "How about 'Yuki'?" Eiri raised a curious eyebrow. "'Yuki'? Snow? Hmm, that sounds good. Let's see. 'Shining' by Yuki. Hmm…" "Not just Yuki, you silly. Didn't you say you love your name? Keep it."

"'Yuki Eiri'?"

A nod.

"But why 'Yuki'?"

Shuichi felt like the day Eiri asked him about the new chapter title again. The guy just loved asking 'why'. '_I'm going to regret saying this_,' he thought. "Look at you. Your eyes, your hair, your skin, they're all fair. Snow falls stubbornly in winter even if some people couldn't stand the coldness it brings. You, Mr. Novelist, are stubborn and persistent as hell. (Eiri opened his mouth to protest but Shuichi stopped him) But snow, as described by many, is beautiful." That being said, Shuichi placed a chaste kiss on the author's lips. Eiri sniffed, deeply touched. Shuichi had just indirectly said he was beautiful. "That means a lot to me, Shu. Yuki Eiri it is, then. You know something Shuichi?"

"What 'something'?"

"If I'm snow, then you're a rose. Rose has it's thorns but it was a symbol of beauty all the same. Delicate petals, angelic scent, dangerous thorns – just like you, Shuichi. You're my beautiful rose," Eiri kissed Shuichi softly again and hugged him close to him. His heart jumped with joy when Shuichi did not resist. The singer's mind was a turbulent wave of emotion. He was being compared to a rose by Eiri. He really didn't know what to say at that. Maybe, just maybe, he'd believe Eiri. Maybe he was a rose…

…A withering rose, if not a dead one.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

The big day had come. Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck were going to be on TV, singing their new songs. Shuichi had chosen to perform 'Possessed' and 'The Rage Beat'. Ryuichi told him they were going to sing Sleepless Beauty and a new song, which will be their new single. He refused to tell Shuichi the title. "Suspense is a great genre, don't you think?" Ryuichi had said that with Kumagorou hanging on his shoulder. Tatsuha and Eiri sat at the front row, anticipating the appearances of their respected love interests. After a few questions, Bad Luck kicked off the performance with The Rage Beat – Remix. It was way better than the original version because this new version had Shuichi play his acoustic guitar to back up Hiro's electric one. The critics were rendered speechless by their performance. When Nittle Grasper performed Sleepless Beauty, Shuichi couldn't help but dance along backstage. Ryuichi's voice had grown better than ever. Tatsuha's eyes glazed over. He was practically drooling. He kept muttering, "Ryuichi…Sexy…" much to Eiri's dismay.

When 'Possessed' was performed, people had their eyes glued at a very serious Shuichi onstage. Ryuichi and Tohma shot each other wary glances. While the song was superb and marvellous, the vocalist and the synthesiser of Nittle Grasper did not like the message. It made them worry about Shuichi's mental state even more. 'Possessed' was a complete opposite to 'The Rage Beat' from the music to the lyrics.

_Possessed by you_

_That's what you do_

_Why is it easy to believe_

_but__ so hard to forgive?_

_Stop haunting me, no more_

_Why did I believe in you before?_

_You hypnotized me, yes you did_

_Tricked and fooled me, that's what you did_

_No more now, go away_

_I don't want to be possessed by you, hey!_

The chorus bugged Eiri in a big way. He was reminded of the time Shuichi told him what he thought about 'love':

_"…There are no such things as 'love at first sight' or 'true love' like your stories claim there to be. There is no love; there is only a strong feeling to possess and be possessed…"_

No, now wasn't the time to think of what had been and gone. Now was the time to enjoy. Shuichi was not as cold as the first time they met anymore. He seemed more relaxed and playful. Everyone clapped and catcalled when 'Possessed' ended. It was Nittle Grasper's turn to sing their new song.

"Hello again, everyone! This song is new, na no da! Tohma, Noriko and Ryuichi worked hard on it. We hope you all like it, na no da! Here's 'Resurrection' from Nittle Grasper!" Shuichi, who was observing the performance backstage with K, Sakano, Hiro and Suguru, rolled his eyes. '_Clever title, Ryuichi.__ Very clever_,' he thought. The childlike Ryuichi was quickly replaced by an extremely adult (and sexy) Ryuichi. Tatsuha held his breath as 'Resurrection' started.

_Listen,  
The clock is ticking as time goes by  
The world is changing before our eyes  
A love lost is a love found  
And the storm is back to reign your heart_

Too caught up in his performance, Ryuichi failed to notice a tall guy standing at the corner of the studio scanning the crowd. Shuichi and Tohma were oblivious to the fact too. Still, Shuichi wondered why his heart suddenly beat so fast. It was like something big was going to happen.

_I've been in the darkness so long  
Let the rain calls out my name  
Now, upon the ashes I would rise  
and nothing is staying the same  
Let's create a new paradise_

The man's eyes settled on Ryuichi. If Ryuichi, Tohma or Shuichi saw him, they would recognise him as Aoshi, Shindou Aoshi. Aoshi listened to the song attentively, admiring the powerful yet beautiful beat arranged by the Great Seguchi Tohma and Ukai Noriko.

_My resurrection  
Bow down, say hi and call out my name - hey!  
I'll show you life through the eyes of a child  
who sees beyond the skies  
It's my resurrection  
It's time to show you who I am  
Who I really, really am  
So don't you close your eyes now!_

Another man entered the studio, clad in black from head to toe. Even in the dark studio, the man wore black shades. No one noticed him. He strode graciously to the opposite corner to where Aoshi was standing at.

_Listen,  
I know that I've been down, down, down  
Ignoring the pleading tears they cried  
But now I finally realise  
The sun is still out there for me_

_I've been in the darkness so long  
So lonely and all alone  
Let the rain calls out my name  
Now, upon the ashes I would rise  
and nothing is staying the same  
Let's create a new paradise_

Shuichi was tapping his foot to the beat when he saw Aoshi. His movements died at once, eyes widened significantly in pure shock. There was no mistaken, it was Aoshi! The man he never wanted to see but refused to forget.

_My resurrection  
Bow down, say hi and call out my name - hey!  
I'll show you life through the eyes of a child  
who sees beyond the skies  
It's my resurrection  
It's time to show you who I am  
Who I really, really am  
So don't you close your eyes now!_

Aoshi did not know Shuichi knew he was there yet. If it weren't for the TV crews and his band mates, Shuichi would have run away. His eyes were glued to the tall, handsome man isolated from the other audiences. When he tore his gaze away from the man he once respected, Shuichi saw the strange man wearing all black. He looked suspicious. Ignoring the worry in his heart, he scanned the audience. Tatsuha was glowing with adoration at the singing Ryuichi and Eiri looked like he was memorising the lyric. The beat slowed…

_Now, upon the ashes I would rise  
Let's create a new paradise (new paradise)_

…and built up again.

_My resurrection  
Bow down, say hi and call out my name - hey!  
I'll show you life through the eyes of a child  
who sees beyond the skies  
It's my resurrection  
It's time to show you who I am  
Who I really, really am  
So don't you close your eyes now!_

A sudden movement from the strange man caught Shuichi's eyes. Wait… The man was pulling something from his back. Something black and shiny. Shuichi's eyes widened again.

No!

_It's my resurrection!_

The music stopped.

**BANG!**

Ryuichi fell to the floor as soon as 'Resurrection' ended. The strange man disappeared before people other than Shuichi noticed his crime. People started screaming and panicking.

"RYUICHI-ONIICHAN!"

**To Be Continued in Track 6: Warm Blood  
**(Yes… I am EVIL! Pure evil. Nyahaha!)****

Okay, that's Track 5. Man, I can't believe it's only been five chapters of AitSWS. I still got loads to write . Exam result is coming out next month and I feel like going insane! Maybe if I focus on writing, I can forget all those stress. Yep, I think so… Anyway, did you like the chapter? Or did you hate it? Comments and criticisms are always welcomed!


	9. Warm Blood

This is done on Feb 23. So, Angel takes a very deep breath and yells:**  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EIRI!**

Ahem…OMG, this gotta be the hardest chapter so far. You guys better appreciate this or I'll flood your house with my tears (teehehe). Don't worry about Ryu-chan. This is where the twist starts, yay! Don't hate Aoshi just yet. He's not that bad. As usual, pardon my grammatical errors or typos. After all, English isn't my _mother tongue_ and this story is _un-beta'ed_.

**_RESPONSES TO REVIEWERS OF TRACK 5  
_Kimika:** He he… That's why I clearly stated that I'm 'pure evil'. Nyahaha!  
**Jwei Lih:** Your update is here, sire.  
**NO!my sakuma san!1:** Anou… I love Ryuichi way too much to just kill him like that. Hehehe…  
**Asato-chan:** Poor Ryuichi? He's rich! (LOL!) I'm just kidding.  
**i love athrun:** (look at the name!) You do? Me too! – _is dying to see GS Destiny_ - (cough) Anyway, read on to find out what happened.  
**Azure:** No, don't die! You can't die yet. You've got to read this fic first!  
**ichigo-chan:** Thankies.  
**LilBlue-Hedggie:** Yep, that guy is sooooo dead! Thanks for the compliment. Keep reading.  
**Kolie:** Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! But you can't kill Aoshi. He's the key to the 'mystery' (hey, that rhymes!)  
**Ryuko-chan:** Okies, I won't kill Ryu-chan  
Kitty in the Box: Thankies! That's such a short but deep view on the chapter.

Introducing the Tenshi Clan in**  
TRACK 6: WARM BLOOD**

The sirens could be heard from the distance as the Nittle Grasper vocalist trailed in and out of consciousness in Shuichi's arms. He'd been shot squarely on the chest, missing his heart by a few inches. Eiri had never been this scared, seeing Shuichi broke down yelling Ryuichi's name over and over. Tohma had his arms wrapped around the young vocalist, trying his best to stop himself from crying. Tatsuha was frozen, too shocked to do anything. The guards were having a hard time fending off the media. All cameras were shut off. "Ryuichi-oniichan! Ryuichi-oniichan!" Ryuichi didn't answer Shuichi's desperate yelling of his name for he'd lost consciousness. Shuichi struggled in Tohma's arms. "Tohma-oniichan! Ryuichi-oniichan won't answer Shuichi! Doushite? Ne, doushita no?"

Tohma swore he heard his heart breaking at the desperateness of Shuichi's voice. He knew the boy in his arms was not the cold Shuichi they knew. It was the old Shuichi, the Shuichi before Shindou Aoshi and it looked like he was reliving his bloodied past judging by the way his eyes seemed to see past everyone but Tohma and Ryuichi. "Hush, Chibi-chan. Your Ryuichi-oniichan is going to be okay. Shh," the blond tried to soothe Shuichi but to no avail. Tears were falling freely down his cheeks.

Tohma looked at Eiri with eyes that said ,_'Please, help him_!' Eiri promptly reached for the scared, confused Shuichi. The boy didn't refuse. He continued to sob, burying his face in the novelist's chest. The ambulance arrived a little while later and took Ryuichi away. Tohma informed Mika before they made a mad dash to the hospital. Tatsuha, in the meantime, was too frozen to say or do anything. He felt his heart stopping the moment Ryuichi fell down. The redness that stained Ryuichi's frilly white top triggered a sharp pain in his heart; a pain that made his heart bleed internally. It was only when they were on the way to the hospital that he did cry a silent cry. Over the past couple of weeks, Tatsuha was happier than he ever was. Getting to know Ryuichi personally had made him realise the feeling he harboured for the older man was neither a simple crush nor an infatuation. It was more than that.

It was love.

Shuichi was still shaking and crying silently in Eiri's gentle embrace. Eiri, noticing Tatsuha's distress, laid a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Tatsuha wiped the tears off his face but they just kept on coming. Noriko was sobbing at the front seat while Tohma was driving the car at an incredible speed. The president kept stealing worried glances at Shuichi through the rear-view mirror. Although there were tears running down his face, his expression was hard. '_Whoever did this will pay dearly! God, please let Ryuichi be alright. Shuichi will be broken if he… If he… No, please, just keep him alive!_' Behind them, a car with K, Hiro, Suguru and Sakano inside followed. They all had the same thing on their minds; a wish for Ryuichi to make it through.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Ryuichi was shot just after he sang a song about 'resurrection'.

It was such a situational irony.

Indeed, it was. Aoshi ran as fast as he could to the apartment he rented. If Shuichi saw him, the singer would no doubt blame him so he got no choice but to run. He was lucky to get away from the building without anyone noticing, not even the guards. The green-eyed man locked the door to his apartment and collapsed onto his couch. He had planned to approach Shuichi, Ryuichi and Tohma after their show ended. The guy in black just had to go and ruin his plan!

Aoshi knew there was no way he was going to be forgiven but he just had to talk to the three of them, especially Shuichi. The boy had trusted in him dearly and what did he do in return? He betrayed the boy's family. He 'sold' them. After the incident, Aoshi vowed to never drink again. He wished he could just forget what happened six years ago but at the same time, he didn't want to. Everyday, he was reminded of his crime and consumed by guilt. He could not look at Shuichi's picture without crying. The eyes scared him most.

And he was the cause of it…

The man groaned in frustration. He hoped Ryuichi would be alright. He hoped the culprit would be caught soon.

…And he hoped the spikes in hell were sharp enough to punish him when he died.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

The air in the waiting room was thick with worry and anxiety. Mika was comforting Tatsuha, who was silently crying with his head hung low. Shuichi was clinging to Eiri as if he feared the latter would disappear any minute. Tohma and Noriko both had their eyes closed and were praying for Ryuichi's safety. When the doctor came out of the operation room, they all rushed to their feet. "Sensei, how is he?" Tohma was the first to ask. The middle-aged man looked to every one of them before speaking, "We managed to get the bullet out alright. Thankfully, no important organ is damaged. However, Sakuma-san lost a great deal of blood and unfortunately, our hospital does not have the suitable blood. So…"

"Then take my blood!" Shuichi interrupted before the doctor finished his sentence. "My blood would match his. Please, you don't need to test me. I'm perfectly clean." The doctor was hesitant at first but seeing a life is at stake here, there was nothing to lose. He nodded and brought Shuichi with him to start the blood transfusion. They waited patiently for another half an hour. Eiri hoped Shuichi would be okay. The party bathed in silence until –

"What in the world is happening?" Tatsuha, who had been unusually quiet, burst out all of a sudden. All heads turned to look at his confused expression. "Ryuichi's blood type is B, isn't it? How would Shuichi-san's blood match his? Isn't his blood type A in the record?" Mika pondered on the revelation. "That's right. Ryuichi would die if he gets Shindou-san's blood!"

'_There is no escaping this, I guess…_' "No, Mika. He won't," Tohma said calmly.

"Why did you say that, Tohma-nii?" This time, it was Eiri who asked. He was just as confused as the rest of the gang. Noriko and Tohma shared a short glance at each other before the former nodded her head as a sign of permission for Tohma to speak. Tohma did. "Because Shuichi's actual blood type is B."

Silence ensued.

A shrill, indignant cry of "WHAT?" followed a short while later.

The party were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice the approaching footsteps. "Well, well, well… It sure looked as if something interesting is being told," said a smiling man with neatly cut light-brown hair who approached the surprised crowd of famous people. Beside the man was another man identical to him except for small ponytail he spotted. It was obvious that the two were twins. Tohma stared in disbelief at the two. "Kuroi-san? Shiroi-san? What are you guys doing here?" He almost stuttered. Suguru raised an eyebrow, clearly not liking the fact that his cousin seemed to have so much secrets. Not that his family was close to Tohma's but still…The man without the ponytail grinned. "Yo, Tohma-san!" The other man merely nodded. The expression he bore was very much similar to Shuichi's.

Eiri looked back and forth between Tohma and the strangers. "Anou, Tohma-nii… You know them?" he asked, gesturing at the two. Tohma nodded. "Everyone, meet Tenshi Kuroi (the man with ponytail nodded) and his twin, Tenshi Shiroi (the grinning man waved). They're Inspectors and old friends of mine, Ryuichi's cousins." Shiroi beamed and stated proudly, "We volunteered to take this case as soon as we heard of the victim. Ryuichi is a good cousin of ours. There's no way we're letting the culprit gets away." Kuroi nodded his agreement to the statement made by his younger twin. "So," Eiri started, " – you know Tohma-nii and Ryuichi-san. Does that mean you know Shuichi too?"

"Of course we know Shuichi. He's –"

"A _friend_."

All heads turned to the person who just emerged from the operation room with his left hand pressing cotton buds to his right hand. Shuichi stood there with annoyance in his eyes, directed to both Kuroi and Shiroi. "Their father Tenshi Murakami, a retired high-ranked police officer, is an old acquaintance of my father, brother-in-law of Ryuichi's father and Tohma's father." Kuroi smirked. "Right, a _friend_ of ours." Eiri was in Shuichi's side in a flash, supporting the exhausted singer with his arms. Shuichi was too exhausted to complain about the obvious display of affection. Ryuichi was then transferred to Room 405 where the doctor confirmed the singing sensation was stable and out of danger. Everyone breathed sighs of relief. Shuichi was about to sit on the chair next to Ryuichi's bed but changed his mind when he saw Tatsuha's pale complexion. He was not as cold as they thought he was. "Tatsuha-kun," he softly said, making the younger teen looked up. Shuichi motioned for him to sit and for everyone else to leave the room.

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

Tatsuha stared at the unconscious form lying on the bed. The beeping of the heart monitor, combined with the steady rise and fall of Ryuichi's chest, assured Tatsuha that the man he'd grown to love was indeed alive. It was almost surreal, seeing the usually bubbly singer lying helpless in a hospital bed. Ryuichi and silence was not a good combination. He inwardly cursed the one who shot Ryuichi. What did Ryuichi do to deserve this? It wasn't fair, damn it! Tatsuha thanked Shuichi over and over for his blood. Without him, Ryuichi's life would still be in danger by then. He didn't know why Shuichi faked his data but he decided he didn't care anymore. His brother's lover had saved the life of his beloved.

Taking a gentle but firm hold of Ryuichi's left hand, Tatsuha chanted a silent mantra he'd learnt. He was, after all, still a monk-in-training.

'_Kami-sama, please let Ryuichi recover soon!_'

Tatsuha didn't even realise that Ryuichi's hand was getting wet from all those tears he didn't notice he was crying.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Tohma convinced Suguru, Sakano, K, Hiro and Noriko to go home. Mika simply refused to leave Tohma's side and Eiri wouldn't go home without Shuichi. Talk about Uesugi _stubborn streak_… Shuichi was still staring pointedly at Kuroi and Shiroi. "Tell me why your headquarters sent two incompetent inspectors to investigate Ryuichi's case," the singer bluntly spoke. Shiroi resisted the sudden urge to strangle Shuichi. "We assure you that Kuroi and I are more than competent enough to handle this case, Shuichi. Believe it or not, we've solved many difficult cases before. I swear on my father's name that we're going to find the culprit by hook or by crook. Trust us."

Shuichi huffed. "I don't even trust my own shadow and I'm supposed to trust two police officers who couldn't even shoot straight?"

Kuroi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "At least we're not some cold-hearted bastard who altered his blood type just so people won't start comparing him to Sakuma Ryuichi more than they already do!" Eiri and Mika blinked rapidly. So, that's why Shuichi faked his personal data. He didn't want people to call him a _Ryuichi-look-alike_ or a _Ryuichi-wannabe_. The similarities of their physical appearance were trouble enough. Tohma stepped up between the two before a fight could break. Both Shuichi and Kuroi took a step back to cool down. "We're only trying to help. There's no need to badmouth us, you ungrateful git!" Kuroi snarled. "Honestly, Shuichi! I can't believe you're such a bastard now. Where the hell is the sweet Shuichi we knew?" Shiroi's voice was sharp but laced with disappointment and anger towards the teenage singer.

"Time changes people, Shiroi. Maybe he's dead or stuck in purgatory. Who knows?"

"He wouldn't be dead if you weren't so determined to kill him!"

This time, it was Eiri who glared menacingly at the twin. "I won't have you talking to Shuichi with that tone," he growled angrily. Shuichi was amazed at the sudden change in Eiri. The novelist's glare mirrored his own! Shiroi held his hands up defensively. "Whoa, cool down, Uesugi-san. You do know that you're threatening an inspector, don't you?" Eiri growled again, much to Mika's amusement. Seeing her brother getting utterly angry was a rare case. Tohma drew eeryone's attention by clearing his throat. "Mika-koishii, Eiri-san, could you please wait for us in the cafeteria? Shuichi and I must speak with Kuroi-san and Shiroi-san." Eiri was about to argue but Mika was already dragging her brother to the cafeteria, leaving Shiroi, Tohma, Kuroi and Shuichi in the waiting room.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

"You've got to be kidding me!" 36-years-old Tenshi Aoki exclaimed in shock. He nearly fell off his chair as his father, Tenshi Murakami, narrated the story to him. Murakami, although almost nearing sixty years of age, was still a firm looking man. His head was still full of hairs and the wrinkles on his face were minimal compared to men his age. One could tell he was once an extremely handsome man in his younger days. His brown eyes still held a glorious fire in each of them. The old man nodded at his son, who was gaping like a dying fish. The electric fire was the only source of light in the western style room. The lighting complimented Aoki's complexion. A few books had fallen off the shelves and Murakami slowly rocked back and forth in his antique, high-class rocking chair.

"Otousan, you said the '_case_' was solved and closed. What do you mean by 'people acting on vengeance'?"

Murakami sighed. He wished his wife Midori was still awake by then to be by his side. "Son, there were deaths on the bad guys' side during the horrid bloodbath. They wanted to avenge those thugs' deaths."

Aoki gasped. "That means Shuichi's life is in grave danger! He was the witness of the massacre." Murakami nodded at that. "I don't understand how people could be so cruel. Shuichi's just a kid. What threat does he bring, anyway?"

A snort.

"You'll be amazed at how far some people would go for wealth and power."

Aoki let a sigh of exasperation escaped him. Being part of the Sakuma family, he was the Co-Director of Sakuma Holding. His mother, Tenshi Midori was Sakuma Midori before she married Murakami. It was funny how the members of the Tenshi family were named after colours; purple, green, blue, red, black and white. Speaking of the colour red… Where was his brother Akai?

As if on cue, the front door slammed shut and another door met the same fate a minute later. Tenshi Akai must be in a very bad mood because the 34-year-old man usually walked the ground with grace to match his good looks. If memory served them right, Akai had been acting weird since Nittle Grasper officially announced their coming back a few days ago. Murakami's eyes narrowed. Something suspicious was going on…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

"Ahem," Shiroi started, " – we've checked the crime scene but found no evidence whatsoever that could help point us to the direction of the criminal. But that doesn't mean we're just going to let the matter go. We've got a theory so far."

"Oh? Do explain," asked Shuichi. Tohma looked at him with a frown that said '_Please, Shuichi, don't be so rude. They're handling this case!_'

Kuroi continued where his brother left off, "Before we were informed of the incident, we were at our father's house. He received a simple but strange note. It was found in the mailbox. We were confused when we first saw it but then, something about the words clicked." The ponytailed inspector held a piece of paper with words written in red ink. It said:

**_The bloodied hands of 'the little child' shall bleed once more  
but this time with his blood instead of ours.  
Sweet, sweet vengeance! The day shall come.  
No sun will shine on him anymore.  
His beloved shall take the first trips -  
and we'll laugh; watching him suffer._**

Shuichi and Tohma's eyes widened at the note.

"I see you've got the message," Kuroi said, folding the note and putting it back into his pocket. "We didn't get it until we were informed of Ryuichi. Otousan almost had a heart attack. And then we realised what the note meant." The twin looked at each other and fixed their gaze on Shuichi. Tohma stood behind Shuichi with both his hands on Shuichi's shoulder, trying to let Shuichi know he wasn't alone in all this. "The note means…"

"It means the people associated to the massacre you were forced to witness six years ago wanted revenge because you thwarted their original plan back then, which was to murder every members of your family. And now, they're back to avenge their friends' death. But they will not attempt to kill you straight away.

They want to see you suffer through the death of your loved ones and your friends."

Shuichi froze.

Beads of cold sweat started to form on his forehead. He could feel Tohma's grip on his shoulders tightening. Because of him alone, lives would be in danger.

Hiro, Suguru, K, Sakano, Tatsuha, Mika…

And of course Ryuichi and Tohma…

And more importantly…

'_Kami-sama… NO! NOT HIM!'_

Eiri…

**To Be Continued in Track 7: Hello, Goodbye**

That's Track 6. I've drawn a pic of Kuroi and Shiroi. Check it out at **www dot predilection dot org slash kuroi-shiroi-tenshi dot jpg**

I know they're not that good but hey! Drawing with mouse is never easy. Still, I love Shiroi, hehe… Look at the title of next track chapter! I think you could already guess what's going to happen.

One more thing… Who do you think should be the _seme_ in Tat and Ryu's relationship? Gimme your opinion, ppl!

For now, please be so kind as to REVIEW. Until later!


	10. Hello, Goodbye

Guess what? Guess what? I got **a flame**, from some reader in **Media Miner** named **Misako**! Woohoo! The first flame in my life! **Here's what she said:**

_Oh my fucking GOD! Did you not read the GRAVITATION manga or if you saw the anime did you get the damn names mixed up? You are a friggin idiot for even attempting this story. omg... people like you... make me want to kill something... Man... I hope you didn't have high hopes for this piece of shit story..._

Now, now… Who's the 'friggin idiot' here? I've clearly stated that this story is **AU**. I repeat, it's AU! **Alternate Universe**; I even put the story in _that_ category. By AU, it means I have every right to alter whatever the hell I want to – and in this case; switching Shu and Eiri's personalities. Guess she wasn't paying attention. As for the manga and anime comment, I proudly announce that I have a complete collection of Gravi stuff (OVA DVDs, anime DVDs, manga, remixes, doujinshi, CDs, etc – you name it.). I had to spend a freaky amount of money to order them **internationally **since they're not available in my country. Go kill something if you like, Misako-_san_. See if I care. Thank you, **weeeee-san** for standing up for me!

**_RESPONSES TO REVIEWERS OF TRACK 6  
_Kitty in the Box:** The plan is formed! Hehe… Thanks a bunch for liking this chapter!  
**LilBlue-Hedgie:** Yep, some people are lucky enough to have a happy past. I'm just so cruel to Shu-chan, ne?  
**i love athrun:** A new chapter done, sir!  
**Kolie:** Hohoho… You'd be surprise when you know who that guy in black is.  
**BRAM:** (stutters) No, don't kill me! Anou, calm down (smiles). Here's an update.  
**Grimy Grunhilda Grunt:** Why? Why? What's happened?  
**Monkey GurL:** Yay, you can guess what's going to happen! I'm still not sure as to who should be the seme, though. Tat-chan sure is aggressive but he's too young in my opinion, no matter how he appeared to be in the manga/ anime. But I like the suggestion.  
**sakura-Star-63:** Because cliffie is good for the soul. Mwahahaha!  
**Asato-Chan:** Yep, poor Shuichi. But I still want to make him suffer more (cackles evilly).  
**Azure:** I'm so touched. You're worried about them. Keep reading, pls!  
**ichigo-chan:** Yes! Eiri! (how cruel can I get?) You and your beloved sis can rest for a bit. Ryu's waking up but another character is going to… Dun! Dun! Dun!

Last but not least to **Secret-san**! I'm so glad that you like this story. That's got to be the sweetest e-mail AitSWS has ever received. Don't worry. I shall keep this story going

I'm surprised that many people e-mailed me to ask about the guy who shot Ryu-chan. Actually, there are more than one of them. Some _already appeared_ in the previous chapters and more will come later. Try and guess! Oh, expect some lies and betrayals too (wink). Kami-sama… This chapter is even harder to write than the previous! I might revise this chapter in the future but for now, ENJOY!

Introducing Hino Koori, ASK and Kotoba Arashi in**  
TRACK 7: HELLO, GOODBYE**

Classical music blanketed the room where curtains were firmly shut. The only source of light in there was from a table lamp next to a king sized four-poster bed. The maroon satin cover crumpled as Tenshi Akai jumped onto the bed with a heavy sigh. His brown eyes were tired but fiery with anger. A job as a bodyguard was extra tough, and that's what Akai was. Being a Sakuma by blood, Sakuma Holding President – Hoshino Shouji had called him as soon as Ryuichi requested bodyguards for Shuichi. Akai volunteered when he learned of the return of Aoshi. He was also the one who found the threat note in the mailbox. '_Damn, I overlooked the 'His beloved shall take the first trips' part! Shuichi was not the first target from the beginning!_'

When Akai first found the note, he was confused. He gave it to his father, who was a better analyser. Things only began to make sense when Shouji called him to his office. Still, he was not sure what and when it was going to happen so he chose to not say anything. When Murakami called for Shiroi and Kuroi to discuss matters of the note, he was already on his job of guarding Shuichi. Another bodyguard hired by Tohma, surprisingly, was also a Sakuma by blood.

Hino Koori.

Koori was his cousin, also Ryuichi's cousin. Akai smiled bitterly as memories flooded him. Like Tohma and Ryuichi, Akai and Koori used to be very protective of Shuichi since the first time they met the boy. Little Shuichi was a picture of innocence and perfection. After witnessing something that a young boy never should have witnessed, Shuichi kept to himself and refused to talk to any of them. Akai had not met the boy for quite a long time. His letters were never replied. He was there when Ryuichi fell. He saw how broken Shuichi looked, and it clawed at his heart incessantly. He looked so much like that time six years ago, minus some bruises and cuts. Akai and Koori were too busy keeping an eye on Shuichi that they failed to notice whoever it was that shot Ryuichi.

He made a mental note to go and visit his cousin in the hospital the next day.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Eiri glared daggers at the steaming cup of coffee in front of him while Mika raised an amused eyebrow at his brother's expression. Eiri wasn't really seeing the cup. He was actually staring at nothing at all. The only thing on his mind was Shuichi. The boy seemed to have so many secrets. It was scary. People he didn't know just seemed to pop out of nowhere, like Shiroi and Kuroi for example. He couldn't help but feel like something very bad was going to happen. Whatever it was, it was making his heart beating like crazy that he felt like it would jump out of his ribcage any minute. What really happened in Shuichi's past? Why were Ryuichi and Tohma being so protective of him? What could possibly be so terrible?

Eiri knew nothing about Shuichi's family. As for Ryuichi, he did know that the singer's parents died in a fire. Tohma's parents died in a plane crash. But Shuichi… No, he knew nothing. Shuichi was keeping a very big secret but what was it? I couldn't be that bad, could it? When Ryuichi was shot, Shuichi looked like he was someone else. The fear in his eyes was so evident that it hurt. His broken cries of '_Ryuichi-oniichan!_' struck a chord in Eiri's little heart. At that exact moment, Eiri thought he looked like a scared little child who had just lost his family.

CRACK!

The novelist was snapped out of his reverie at the sound of his cup cracking. The crack grew and the small cup then broke in two, spilling its content all over the café table. "Woah, I guess the coffee was too hot," Mika stated quietly. Eiri, on the other hand, just stared at the broken pieces. Uh, oh…

Bad omen…

Shiroi and Kuroi walked into the cafeteria and greeted Mika and Eiri. Shiroi stared incredulously at the broken cup, muttering something about low-quality hospital properties. Tohma and Shuichi showed up a minute later. The cold, distant look was back on the vocalist's face. He looked like when Eiri first met him, or worse. "Shuichi, what's wrong?" Shuichi didn't answer. He just shook his head lightly and sat down beside Eiri, refusing to meet the author's eyes. Shiroi spared a sympathetic glance towards him. No one said anything.

Kuroi and Shiroi said goodbye after a cup of hot chocolate. Tohma, Mika, Eiri and Shuichi went to check on Ryuichi and Tatsuha in Room 405 before going home. As predicted, Tatsuha refused to go back. Before heading home, Shuichi ruffled the younger boy's hair and thanked him for caring about Ryuichi. True, Tatsuha looked way older than his age but in the end, he was still a teenager who was still adapting to the changes in his life.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Shiroi was humming to the song on the radio as the twin drove back to their shared apartment in Kuroi's Peugeot. It was always like this between them; Shiroi the loud one and Kuroi the quiet one. Although their personalities were almost a hundred percent different from one another, they got along greatly. Maybe it was their upbringing that taught them the importance of family bonds. "Oi, Kuro," Shiroi tuned the radio down a bit to talk to his brother. "I don't like what's happening, especially the note." Kuroi tilted his head slightly, eyebrows cocked in confusion. He had this strange tendency of fiddling with the seat belt when he was thinking in a car. "No one likes what's happening, Shiroi. That note, of course, is unnerving."

"Iie, I'm not talking about the message on the note. I'm talking about the sender."

"What about it?"

"When you were talking to Otousan about the note, I asked our guards if they saw suspicious people nearing the mailbox but none of them saw any strangers. The only ones who touched it or got near to it were our family members and the servants. The footage from the front gate camera showed nothing suspicious too."

Kuroi pulled over all of a sudden and stared disbelievingly at his twin. "Are you saying what I think you're going to say?" The younger twin shrugged. "Maybe." They stared at each other for a full minute before sighing exasperatedly.

"It's an insider."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Shuichi sat up and stared at Eiri's sleeping face on the bed. The novelist looked so much younger than his age when he was fast asleep; Shuichi noted this with a small frown. He glanced at the Nittle Grasper calendar hanging on the wall and his frown deepened. The next day would be exactly a month from the day he made a deal with Eiri – to give the novelist a chance to get to know him. He was slowly letting the older man into his life. Truly, his company wasn't that bad. For some reason, he was never short of song ideas when Eiri was around. Thanks to Eiri, 'This Feeling' turned out very beautifully. Given time, maybe they could always be happy together. Maybe he could learn to let go of his past. But what Kuroi said…

"_They want to see you suffer through the death of your loved ones and your friends_."

Frustrated, Shuichi leaned against the headboard and brought his knees up to his chest. He had this strong urge to weep, what with Ryuichi in the hospital and putting his other friends in danger. '_My fault… This is my entire fucking fault_!' He mentally berated himself. He'd fucked up royally, or so he thought. Things were going to have to change.

It just had to.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

_It was dark._

"_Ryuichi-oniichan! Ryuichi-oniichan!"_

_Slowly, Ryuichi opened his tired eyes and looked down. An extremely cute little boy was tugging at his pants with one hand and clutching Kumagorou with the other. The boy smiled when he looked at him. Ryuichi's eyes widened upon recognition. The big, bright lavender pools… The vibrant magenta locks… "Chibi-chan?" The boy frowned. "Mou, Ryuichi-oniichan… Shuichi wa chibi janai yo!" Little Shuichi giggled. Approximately a hundred metres behind him were Ryuichi's deceased parents. "Okaasan… Otousan…" Ryuichi tried to reach them but Shuichi pulled him back, hanging to the older man's foot. "No, Ryuichi-oniichan! You can't go there, not yet. You have to go through that door!" The child pointed to a small door behind Ryuichi. Ryuichi saw nothing behind the opened door. The place where his parents were standing at looked so much… shinier. _

"_Hayaku, Ryuichi-oniichan! If you don't go through that door now, Shuichi will cry na no da!"_

_Ryuichi hated seeing his Kawaii Chibi-chan cry. "But if I go, I won't see you again, Kawaii Chibi-chan," Ryuichi said sadly. The smile on Shuichi's face faded. "You will, na no da. Shuichi will still be there. Maybe when the time's right, Shuichi can come out to play with Ryuichi-oniichan and Tohma-oniichan again, na no da!" A tear rolled down Ryuichi's cheek. He knew it wasn't real but he was glad to see little Shuichi that he adored so much. "Ryuichi-oniichan won't give up on Shuichi, na no ka?"_

_Ryuichi nodded. Another lone tear fell._

"_Go now. Tohma-oniichan-tachi are waiting for you. Go!"_

"_Hai. Ja ne, Kawaii Chibi-chan!"_

"_Ja matta, Ryuichi-oniichan!"_

_And Ryuichi went though the opened door…_

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

"Huh?"

All heads turned to look at the unconscious man. Ryuichi's eyes fluttered open at an achingly slow speed. He tried to sit up but was stopped by a sudden sharp pain on his chest. He groaned lightly. Soon, his vision started to clear and he was then greeted by relieved sighs and smiles from his friends. Tohma, K, Tatsuha, Eiri and Shuichi were there. "Hello, Ryuichi! Glad to see you're awake!" K said in English, helping Ryuichi to sit up in his bed. "How do you feel, Ryu?" asked Tohma.

"Like I've been shot in the chest."

All except Tatsuha and Shuichi rolled their eyes at the answer. Trust Ryuichi to be so blunt. Noticing the expression on Shuichi's face, the older singer spread his arms. "Come," he softly said. Shuichi got into the open arms and proceeded to embrace Ryuichi, resting his head on in the latter's shoulder. Ryuichi closed his arms to return the hug. K, Eiri and Tatsuha watched in awe at the caring and loving gestures while Tohma just smiled. Shuichi was not as 'lost' as they thought he was. "I'm so glad you're okay," Shuichi whispered into Ryuichi's ears. Ryuichi patted the younger singer's back lightly. "I'm glad too," he said. In his heart and mind, however, Ryuichi's actual words were '_I'm glad you're showing some emotions. I'm so glad that you still care despite how dead you think you are_.'

'_It's you who woke me up, Shu. If I didn't go through that door, I wouldn't have woken up by now. Thank you, Kawaii Chibi-chan…_' Ryuichi thought.

"It's nice to know you're okay now, Ryuichi," said the unusually silent Tatsuha. The smile on his face was almost a fake. Ryuichi easily saw through it since he was so familiar with things of that nature. Compared to the others there, Tatsuha looked tired. He had a pair of dark undereyes and his eyes were a bit red and puffy. "He was the one who looked after you all night," Eiri told Ryuichi as if he could read the latter's mind. Ryuichi reached out for Tatsuha's hand to give it a grateful squeeze. "Thank you." Lost for words, Tatsuha merely nodded. Tohma couldn't help but smile. He knew how Tatsuha felt towards Ryuichi. He also knew Ryuichi held some special feelings for the boy. He just hoped everything would turn out right in the end.

The poignant atmosphere was then broken when two men stepped into the room, surprising Tohma, Shuichi and Ryuichi. The first man looked so much like Shiroi and Kuroi. He had shoulder-length brown hair and sharp brown eyes behind the wire-frames he wore. The second man had hair the colour of Hiro's hair and a pair of intense blue eyes. "Good morning," greeted the first man – Tenshi Akai. Tohma was the first to recover from his shocked state and smiled at the man. "Hello, Akai-san. Hello, Koori-san. It's been a while."

The second man chuckled. "Indeed, it has, Tohma-kun." He turned to look at Ryuichi and Shuichi. "Hello, you two!" Ryuichi smiled and Shuichi nodded at the man. Eiri, Tatsuha and K were utterly confused. Great, more secrets! Tohma took the liberty of introducing the two men to the other three confused men. "Minna, meet Tenshi Akai and Hino Koori. Akai-san is Shiroi-san and Kuroi-san's elder brother. Koori-san is their cousin, also Ryu's cousin. Akai-san, Koori-san, meet my brother-in-laws Uesugi Eiri (-Eiri bowed respectfully-) and Uesugi Tatsuha (-Tatsuha followed his brother's example and bowed-). This is Bad Luck's manager, Crawd Winchester but he preferred to be called K (-K shook hands with Akai and Koori. Western habits die hard-)." Shuichi stood up and stared back and forth from Akai to Koori.

"Why are you two here?" asked the curious singer.

Akai and Koori kept their cool. There was no way in hell they're telling Shuichi that they were hired to guard him – well, at least not with Eiri, Tatsuha and K in the same room. "Is it wrong to visit my injured cousin?" Koori asked with a smirk. He went over to Shuichi and ruffled the singer's hair affectionately. "Long time no see, Chibi." Shuichi glared. The others snickered at the nickname. Akai followed his cousin example, much to Shuichi's dismay. "Stop treating me like a kid. I haven't been one for years and you guys know that," he spat. If one didn't personally know Shindou Shuichi, they'd flinch. Koori shook his head. "Whatever you say, Shuichi. Anyway, Shiro and Kuro are doing their best to track down Ryu's attacker. It was hard without evidence or even a tiny trace and all. Just give them time. Akai and I are going to help too. The more, the merrier. Right, Mr. Romance Novelist?" Koori winked at Eiri. "My fiancée loves your books. She's been looking forward for your next book, even tried to get me to read them with her. Women…" Eiri laughed nervously. "That's… er… nice to know."

Tatsuha seemed to return to his usual cheery mood when since Ryuichi started talking. He nudged his brother at the elbow and smirked. "A famous novelist at lost for words, aniki? Your fan girls would be surprised."

"Oh, shut up you pervert!"

They all laughed, with the exception of Shuichi who merely rolled his eyes.

Koori and Akai had been checking every room in the hospital before going to see Ryuichi. They had to make sure nothing suspicious was going on around there. They'd be damned if something like last night happened again! Koori and Akai had both assigned several bodyguards to keep watch on the hospital building, Shuichi's apartment and NG Records building. No one could be trusted at times like this, not even their family or closest friends. They all had learned the hard way of how much someone so close could destroy so much.

If only they knew how close their enemies were…

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

A pissed-off raven haired man swallowed his fifth glass of Vodka. He seemed to not notice the front of his Armani coat was stained by spilled alcohol. Nope, he was too busy drinking to notice. He, Kotoba Arashi, was completely pissed-off. His publisher had just threatened to fire him if he missed yet another deadline. Yep, being an author sucks! Arashi's popularity was tumbling down, no thanks to Uesugi Eiri. '_Curse you, Uesugi! You stole my fame, you asshole! I'll fucking kill you if I ever cross path with you!_' Arashi cursed inwardly. Before Eiri, Arashi was Japan's romance novel sweetheart. Eiri's debut novel had caused quite an earthquake in his life. The earthquake then transformed into a full-fledged tsunami, bringing him down in just one swipe. Damn that novelist! He was just as handsome as he was, dammit!

Another person took a seat beside him and ordered a drink. Arashi smirked at the other guy's expression. It mirrored his own. "Hey Tachi!" he greeted the other man. Aizawa Taki glanced sideways at him before breaking into an evil grin. "Why, hello Arashi, old pal!" Aizawa Taki, known as Tachi, was the lead of another band under NG Records – ASK. Who knows what the letters A, S and K stood for? Maybe it's only because the band members though it sounded cool, whatever. Arashi and Taki were good friends in high school. They were the worst troublemakers ever known to their school. The two good friends talked about their lives – Taki and his frustration over Bad Luck mainly Shuichi, and Arashi with his frustration over deadlines and Eiri.

"You know," Taki started, "Shindou and that Uesugi you hate so much are an item. I saw them _sucking face_ with my own eyes. Pretty damn disgusting, if you ask me." He wrinkled his eyebrows in disgust. Arashi almost spit his drink out at the revelation. "Are you telling me that they're _fucking_ gay? Shindou Shuichi and Uesugi Eiri both?" Taki nodded. He leaned closer to his friends and started speaking in hushed tone. "Imagine what would happen if the media gets hold of this."

Arashi felt as if the black clouds over his head had cleared. "If we could just tell it to the media…"

Taki shook his head twice. "Nah, they'd probably think it's some kind of gossip or something. I have a better idea. Wanna hear?"

"Shoot!"

Taki whispered something only heard by Arashi.

"Tachi! You're a genius!"

"So, are you in?"

"I'm all game, buddy!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

The ride home to Shuichi's apartment was quiet. Tatsuha chose to stay with Tohma and Mika until Ryuichi recovered. Eiri had received a note stating that his apartment was back to normal, meaning everything was repaired and in order. Whatever Eiri said in the car, Shuichi didn't listen. The doctor told them that Ryuichi will be released the next week. He was recovering at an impossibly speedy rate. When they arrived, Shuichi promptly went to his room while Eiri made himself a drink in the kitchen. Shuichi looked at Eiri stuff that was in his room sadly.

"_They want to see you suffer through the death of your loved ones and your friends_."

'_Damn it all to hell!_' he inwardly cursed. Summoning every bit of courage he had left, Shuichi stuffed all of Eiri's things into the novelist's suitcases and dragged them to the front door. Eiri had just finished his drink when he heard the crash. "Shuichi! What the hell… is… hap…pe..ning…?" Eiri blinked.

And blinked…

And blinked…

He stared at his suitcases by the front door and then at Shuichi. "Shuichi? What –"

"It's over."

"Pardon?"

"This _lover's game_… ends now."

**To Be Continued in Track 8: Wounded Hearts, Salty Tears  
**(I'm proud of being evil… Yay for another cliffie!)

So, the OCs now are: **Shindou Aoshi** (30), Tenshi Murakami (59), **Tenshi Shiroi** (27) (my personal fav!), **Tenshi Kuroi** (27), **Tenshi Aoki** (36), **Tenshi Akai** (34), Tenshi Midori (57), Hoshino Shouji (51), **Hino Koori** (32) and **Kotoba Arashi** (26). 10 OCs altogether. Woah, that's a lot huh? More are on the way! The OCs whose names are in bold characters are those who will appear many times towards the end of the fic.

For now, please be kind and REVIEW! Pweety pwease?


	11. Interlude 02: The OCs File

"And If The Sun Won't Shine…"**  
THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS FILE**

Just a little extras so you guys won't get confused. Let's get to know the OCs -)

**SHINDOU AOSHI  
Sex: **Male  
**Age: **30  
**Eyes:** Green  
**Hair:** Dark-brown  
Aoshi was Shuichi's **private tutor** for six years (age 7 to 12). Shuichi looked up to him as a trusted older brother. He was also a friend of Ryuichi, Tohma, Akai and Koori. He used to work at **Sakuma Holding** before being Shuichi's tutor. After '**The Bloodbath**' tragedy, he disappeared out of guilt.

**TENSHI AOKI**  
**Sex:** Male  
**Age:** 36  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** Light Brown  
The eldest son of the Tenshi family. He is the **Co-Director** of **Sakuma Holding**. Aoki's personality is much like that of Shiroi's; loud and carefree. He was easy to get along with.

**TENSHI AKAI**  
**Sex:** Male  
**Age:** 34  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** Light Brown  
The second eldest son of the Tenshi family. Akai used to work for the **police force** but quit to become a **bodyguard**. Unlike Aoki, Akai was quieter but not as quiet as his brother Kuroi. He has a soft spot when it comes to his family and Shuichi. All in all, this guy is a big mystery.

**HINO KOORI  
Sex: **Male  
**Age: **32  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** Light Brown  
The only son of the Hino family. His father, **Hino Fujii**, died of heart attack. He lived with his mother, Hino Sakura, whose maiden name is **Sakuma Sakura**. Koori used to work for the **police force** with Akai but quit to become a **bodyguard** as well. Koori was a little bit more lively compared to Akai.

**TENSHI KUROI  
Sex:** Male  
**Age:** 27  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** Light Brown  
A.K.A **Kuro**. He's the older twin. Kuroi is a police **Inspector** working in **Tokyo Police Headquarter**. He tends to keep to himself and refuses to talk unless it's really necessary. Kuroi's personality is quite mysterious. You don't know what this guy is thinking.

**TENSHI SHIROI  
Sex:** Male  
**Age:** 27  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** Light Brown  
A.K.A **Shiro**. Kuroi's twin. Like his brother, Shiroi works as a police **Inspector** in **Tokyo Police Headquarter**. He is the loudest Tenshi, who likes listening to the radio with the volume at its max ( duh! ) He's 'genki' alright but when it comes to business, he can be very serious like Kuroi.

**HOSHINO SHOUJI  
Sex:** Male  
**Age:** 51 (it's greying!)  
**Eyes:** Black  
**Hair:** Dark Brown  
He's a warm-hearted man who has worked for the Sakuma clan for over twenty years. Shouji is the current **President **or **Director** of **Sakuma Holding**. He insists for Ryuichi to take over the company.

**KOTOBA ARASHI  
Sex:** Male  
**Age:** 26  
**Eyes:** Black  
**Hair:** Black  
Arashi-sensei… Heh! Arashi is a **romance novelist** like Eiri. He's pissed-off at the fact that Eiri seems to get more popular each day. Arashi is also **Aizawa Taki's** friend.

**TENSHI MURAKAMI  
Sex:** Male  
**Age:** 59  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** Light Brown (it's greying!)  
Murakami is the **father** of Shiroi, Kuroi, Aoki and Akai. He's a retired high-ranked police officer.

**TENSHI MIDORI  
Sex: **57  
**Sex: **Female  
**Eyes:** Blue  
**Hair:** Brown (it's greying!)  
Midori is the **mother** of Shiroi, Kuroi, Aoki and Akai. She used to be a lecturer before retiring at the age of 50. Midori is a very loving mother and her maiden name is **Sakuma Midori**.

Now… Can you guess who the bad guys are? (-wink-)


	12. Wounded Hearts, Salty Tears

I am soooooo happy now. I don't think I've ever gotten this much reviews for one chapter before. Thank you, guys!

**  
clari chan:** Hello again! I'm glad you're still reading this fic. Your review was marvellous. Pardon my grammatical errors. I think being out of school is getting to me. I can't wait till the exam result comes out! That cup cracking thing was inspired by real Japanese belief. Yep, it's a bad omen. I'm so glad you like the OCs file too. I'm curious as to who you think are the criminals, though.

**Kolie:** My OCs work? Yay! Thank you! Thank you! I'm still debating whether or not I'd kill someone off in this story. I hope I won't have to kill Shu or Eiri. Your waiting for Track 8 is over. It's here!

**Kitty in the Box:** Aoshi, Arashi and Taki huh? Well… I dunno… MAYBE. Hehe, I like the way that chapter ended too. But I still think that chapter was to damn short! Oh well… Some people write shorter chapters anyway.

**Hyper Chef:** Thank you for the wonderful review. I'm glad you like this fic and the AU-ness of it. I'm so damn proud to know that this fic actually managed to trigger readers' emotions. Thank you! Please keep supporting me.

**i love athrun:** I'm starting to sense a review pattern here. They're cute! Thanks for your time and enjoy this chapter!

**LilBlue-Hedgie:** I just love torturing Eiri. Revenge for all those emotional torture he made Shuichi go through, heh! About the bad guy… Heheheh… That stays a big HIMITSU until the climax.

**ichigo-chan:** Arashi… I hate him even though I'm the one who created him in the first place. Don't worry. You'll know their 'shady schemes' soon!

**Shuu's Lover:** (look at name) Are you Yuki-san? Hehe, I'm just kidding LOL! You think the insider is Akai?... Well, I don't know… (grins evilly)

**Ryuko-Chan:** Hi again! Yep, Shu does have a heart. But no! You can't take both Shiroi and Koori! Take Koori but Shiroi is mine! Mwahaha!

**MonkeyGurL:** Heartbroken Eiri makes me smile. I'm cruel, am I not? You're right, it's a display of emotion on Shuichi's part. I'm glad you like the twins. Me too!

**WhiteTopaz:** Thank you! That chapter was quite hard to write and I'm glad you like it XD

**Bram:** Sowie! But the cliffie was necessary.

**kriziamoon:** I'm sorry for the excessive amount of OCs. I need them to get the story going. Thank you for your support!

**Kimika:** The update is here! Fast enough?

**Shuichi:** Glad that you like AitSWS and the OCs File! Thank you for your support.

A little **correction**! In **Track 5: Resurrection**, **Aoshi** was supposed to be **24** years old instead of **22**. Okay? And this chapter is full of dialogues. Please bear with this fact… (sigh) The song '**Of Stolen Kisses and Silent Tears**" in this chapter is **MINE**. It was originally written for my novel project, **Castle in The Sky I: Rhymes of Life**. Pardon the crappiness.

"Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment,  
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie."  
"_Love's pleasure lasts but a moment, love's sorrow lasts all through life."  
_**- Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian **in '**Celestine' -**

**TRACK 8: WOUNDED HEARTS, SALTY TEARS**

Shuichi looked at the lyric he just wrote. His eyes were fixed on the first chorus of the song:

_This dance never seems to end.  
I'm tired of having to pretend.  
With every step you take my way  
that's every step I back away.  
We just want something real  
but it's just impossible.  
So, we face the days  
with stolen kisses and silent tears._

With sorrowful eyes, he looked at the second chorus:

_Where is the end to this dance?  
We're both tired of this pretence.  
I know you want to come my way  
and so I have to back away.  
We just want something real  
but it isn't ours to feel.  
So, we face the years  
with stolen kisses and silent tears._

Frustrated, Shuichi flung the notepad across the room, hitting a vase as a result. Said vase shattered as it landed on the hard, polished marble floor. The shards of broken glass glinted, as if they were voicing their sympathy towards the vocalist of the new hot band Bad Luck. He didn't even realise what he was writing. He should have known it would be about him and Eiri. The author had been his muse for quite a while now. Even when he's gone, his new songs were still about him. Why was it that he had to live up to his band's namesake?

"_They want to see you suffer through the death of your loved ones and your friends_."

If he kept Eiri around, the novelist's life would be in danger. He knew it hurt Eiri but he was left with no choice, or so he thought. Up until now, only those close to him knew of the nature of his relationship with Eiri. If the 'bad guys' found out… No, he didn't want to think about it! Worst, innocent lives other than Eiri would be dragged into this mess too. '_This is what happens if people get close to me,_' he thought. '_I destroy everything I touch. Damn myself!_' Eiri's pleading cries for him to explain what was going on played like a movie in his mind. Shuichi felt an immense guilt for breaking the older man's heart like that but he knew he was doing the right thing.

Yes, Shindou Shuichi was doing the right thing.

_For Eiri…_

_For Eiri…_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Another bottle of beer met the same fate as its brothers; broken and shattered on the damp, hard floor. A very drunk Uesugi Eiri gulped down another bottle as an attempt to forget the stinging pain in his heart. His world was black – void of things he once favoured. His half-buttoned shirt was damp with spilled alcoholic beverage he was currently downing. Tears were continuously making their way down his cheek. His eyes were red and puffy. In other words, Eiri looked like a mad man. Mika, Tohma and Tatsuha had gone home a few hours ago after failing to talk some sense into him.

"WHY SHUICHI ! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?" he howled brokenly. His apartment was in a mess. Not that Eiri cared about that. The only thing on his mind was Shuichi. The fateful event two days ago was still fresh in his mind.

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

_Shuichi threw the suitcases out of the door without a word. He motioned for Eiri to go. "No, Shuichi…" Eiri shook his head in disbelief. "You can't do this to me. If you want me to go home, I would. But what do you mean 'this lover's game ends now'?" Shuichi merely rolled his eyes at that. "We made a deal a month ago, remember? Well, time's up! Now I want you out of that door and out of my life." If Eiri was paying attention, he would have noticed the sad look on Shuichi's face - the sad, apologetic look._

"_What? You're kidding, right?"_

"_Do I look like it?"_

"… _Why?" Eiri strode forward in a few big steps and took Shuichi into his arms. "Why are you doing this, Shuichi? What did I do? WHAT THE HELL DID I DO THAT YOU CAN'T STAND ME? I THOUGHT YOU WERE COMFORTABLE WITH ME! Damn it, answer me Shindou Shuichi! Was it just a game for you?"_

"… _Yes."_

"_WHAT? LIAR! LIAR! YOU CAN'T MEAN THAT!"_

_Shuichi struggled to break free. "Let go of me, you jerk! Can't you see I want you out of that door?"_

"_You're lying!"_

"_Am not! You're just in denial!" Shuichi forcefully shoved Eiri out the door and slammed it in the novelist's face. His face contorted in anguish. He tried to ignore the sound of Eiri pounding the door with his fist. Eiri was helplessly crying, pleading for Shuichi to open the door and give him another chance. "Go away, Uesugi! I don't love you, I never will. I don't even like you! GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Eiri's cry transformed into pleading sobs. He was no longer banging on the door but he just leaned his forehead against the hard wood and wept. "Please, Shuichi… Please don't do this to me. I love you! Please!"_

_The weeping continued…_

_The pleading continued…_

_But they were plainly ignored._

_And Eiri's heart shattered._

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

Yet another bottle was thrown across the room to meet the same fate as its brothers. Eiri buried his face in his hands and wept uncontrollably. "Why Shuichi? Why do I still love you even when you did this to me?" He cried himself to sleep, asking 'why' over and over again. He woke up to a splitting headache the next morning. Still, it wasn't the headache that woke him up. It was his dream.

In his dream, Eiri met a little boy who looked a lot like Shuichi. It took him a while before realising that it was Shuichi, little Shuichi. He looked like that picture on the TV, the one where young Tohma and Ryuichi had their arms around little Shuichi. The little Shuichi was crying in his dream. He kept apologising over and over again and Eiri didn't understand. The little child apologised and cried until the dream ended. Eiri was confused – no, make that 'utterly' confused. What did it mean? Why was little Shuichi crying and apologising in his dream?

Oh, wait…

Why did Shuichi look so sad when he shoved Eiri out of his apartment?

'_Something fishy is going on. I don't know but I just know it!'_ With that thought in mind, Eiri was out of his apartment after a quick trip to the bathroom and his closet. He had to see Shuichi again.

He just had to.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Ryuichi spit the drink he'd just sipped back out. He stared at Tatsuha as if the young man had grown another head. "Shuichi did WHAT?" Tatsuha, who was smoothing out Kumagorou's fur, sighed helplessly. "He dumped aniki. Threw his suitcases and the _owner_ right out of the door." The plastic cup fell to the floor with a resounding 'clank'. Ryuichi couldn't believe his ears. Shuichi dumped Eiri? It was too sudden. Why didn't anyone tell him about this earlier? It happened three days ago, for God's sake! That explained why Eiri didn't visit him for the past couple of days.

Shiroi had visited him after visiting hour two nights ago. The Inspector told him all about his investigation and the threat note. He should have known Shuichi would do something like this. Poor Eiri. Life was so against them. Ryuichi wondered if they'd done something bad in their past lives to deserve this fate. "Aniki was a mess the last time we visited him – Mikarin, Tohma-nii and me. He just wouldn't stop crying and drinking," Tatsuha said, sympathy clear in his voice. Ryuichi decided to not say anything. He really didn't know what to do. When Tohma and Ryuichi asked Eiri to never give up on Shuichi, they didn't predict something like this would happen. All plans were now down the drain.

"Shuichi-san didn't go to work either," Tatsuha broke the heavy silence, drawing Ryuichi's attention back to him. What he didn't expect was the forlorn look on Ryuichi's face. "Ryuichi? What is it? Is your chest hurting?" Ryuichi shook his head and smiled. The concern in Tatsuha's voice was so obvious that he had to smile. "I'm okay, Tatsuha-kun. It's just that… " Ryuichi bit his lip from mentioning the threat. He had to find another words. "It's just that I don't understand what's going on around us now. Shuichi is slowly getting out of his personal hell and I'm pretty sure he feels for Eiri." A frown marred Tatsuha's handsome feature. "If he feels for aniki, then why did he dump him?"

'_Because he wants to protect Eiri-san, Tatsuha-kun,_' Ryuichi thought. Of course he couldn't say that out loud. Instead, Ryuichi merely shook his head indicating he had no idea whatsoever as to why Shuichi broke things off with Eiri.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

"Four days! Four goddamn days and still nothing! No leads whatsoever. Damn it all to hell!" Tenshi Shiroi yelled in frustration. They were going nowhere with their investigation. There were only fingerprints of Shiroi, Kuroi, Murakami and Akai on the threat note but Shiroi knew what they were there. Akai was the first person who found the note. Murakami touched it after Akai gave it to their father. Shiroi and Kuroi touched the note when Murakami gave it to them. The security cameras around the crime scene showed nothing suspicious either. The front guard told them no suspicious looking man entered the studio and no such man exited it either. This criminal was like a ghost or something. How could he enter without a pass to – wait a minute…

Shiroi's eyes widened as realisation hit him like high-speed waves. There must be more than one criminal in the studio by then. The sniper must have had an accomplice to get him into the studio without raising suspicion along the way. In other words, someone related to NG Records must be one of the criminals.

Joy… Shiroi didn't like where things were heading. He had a feeling this case won't end in peace. The current list of suspects was carefully laid out on his table. He loathed going through the list because half of them were his family members. Shiroi still didn't want to believe the one who delivered the threat note was an insider – a member of his family! He felt betrayed and trapped; suffocated from excessive doubts and questions of 'why', 'what' and 'how'. He needed to discuss matters with his twin.

But… Where was Kuroi?

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

PANG!

A loud slap resonated throughout the silent apartment. "Mika!" Tohma stepped forth and restrained his wife from doing further damage. Shuichi stood his ground as if the slap didn't affect him. If looks could kill, he would be dead by now. Seguchi Mika was wearing a deadly expression on her face, quite fitting to the red attire she was clad in. "Damn you, Shindou Shuichi!" She cursed, earning yet another reprimanding yell of "Mika!" from her husband. "I'm already damned, thank you very much," he spat sarcastically.

"Why do you have to treat Eiri this way? If you don't want anything to do with him in the first place then you shouldn't have lead him on! Are you happy now? Do you get a thrill out of breaking people's hearts?"

No answer from Shuichi. The young man clenched his hands in tight fists.

Mika continued, still seething in anger while being restrained by Tohma. "I've always known you were cold, Shindou, but I never thought you are so damn heartless as well. Eiri practically worships you and how did you repay him? By telling him it was only a game! How could you be such a bastard? Why do you have to break his heart this way?"

That was it. Shuichi couldn't take this anymore! "Tell me which do you prefer, Mika-san. A heartbroken Eiri or a _dead_ Eiri? Tell me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just tell me! Do you want him dead?"

"Of course I don't want him dead! He's my brother!"

"If you don't want him dead, you should very well be glad I broke things off with him!"

The anger on Mika's face was then replaced with a confused frown. "What?"

Shuichi turned away. He didn't know how to tell Mika that some maniacs were going to hurt the ones close to him. Tohma turned his wife around and shook his head. "Please, Mika. I don't think it's time to argue about this. After all, it's their lives. Please understand. There must be a reason as to why Shuichi did this. I promise you we'll talk about this at home, okay?" Mika melted at her husband's gentle voice. She nodded once and stormed out of the apartment with a huff. As soon as her footsteps faded away, Shuichi fell to his knees. Tohma promptly pulled the singer into his embrace, whispering comforting nonsense to his ear. At first, Shuichi did nothing but then he started to shake with silent sobs.

"I really am supposed to be dead, am I not? All these bad things happen because I escaped death six years ago, right?" He cried brokenly.

Tohma shook his head. "Don't say that," the blond chided. "That's not true at all. You aren't supposed to be dead. This is just another cruelty of life."

Shuichi's sobs grew. He was clinging to Tohma for dear life. "I don't know anything about love but I like him, Tohma. I really do like him! If he stays with me, they'd kill him. I don't want that! He doesn't deserve that! "

By 'him', Tohma knew Shuichi meant Eiri.

"I like him so much that it hurts, Tohma-oniichan. I really do…" The old Shuichi was back again.

"… I know, Chibi-chan. I know…" A lone tear of sorrow found its way down Tohma's silky cheek.

On the other side of the front door, a shell-shocked Uesugi Eiri stifled a gasp of surprise upon hearing the vocalist's confession. All anger left him, leaving only questions of "Why?" Eiri couldn't stop the tears of relief trickling down his face. Shuichi did care. Shuichi liked him – maybe even loved him in his own ways. Eiri closed his eyes, not knowing what to do. An image of crying little Shuichi from his dream flashed at the back of his mind.

'Shuichi…'

"_Was it just a game for you?"_

"_Yes..."_

'Shuichi… You lied to me…'

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Nakano Hiroshi sighed for the millionth time that day. With Shuichi gone from work, no recording could be done. The only thing that stopped K from shooting a bullet through Shuichi's head was Tohma's assurance that the vocalist needed a break. Hiro didn't know what was happening. He thought Shuichi was comfortable with Eiri. He even caught the pink-haired boy smiling lightly as he listened to Eiri's rambling on the phone. Shuichi liked to pretend he wasn't listening to a single word his lover (or ex-lover, whatever) rambled on about but in truth, Hiro knew he listened to every one of them. Another sigh escaped his lips. Suguru, Sakano and K were nowhere to be found. Hiro presumed they were in the cafeteria, talking about Shuichi or their upcoming album. "I guess I'd better join them. Nothing to do in this studio anyway," he said to no one in particular. Putting his precious guitar back into its case, Hiro opened the door to exit the deserted studio.

But he was not prepared for what was behind that door.

DASH!

Hiro's world went black.

**To Be Continued in Track 9: Pleas For Help**

Woah! That's Track 8. I hope you can see the drama here. A traitor among the Gravi characters. Did you see that coming, hmm? It could be anyone… Even Noriko! Heh. So, what do you think happened to Hiro?

Anyways, here's full lyric to "Of Stolen Kisses and Silent Tears". Enjoy!

_Love;  
a wonderful feeling  
laced with sorrow  
and endless emotions.  
So, why  
does it end like this?  
With both of us in tears  
and so much pain._

_In the shadows  
you hide.  
In the light  
I fight.  
Still, everyday I think  
of your stolen kisses  
and my silent tears..._

_This dance never seems to end.  
I'm tired of having to pretend.  
With every step you take my way  
that's every step I back away.  
We just want something real  
but it's just impossible.  
So, we face the days  
with stolen kisses and silent tears._

_The world  
never seems to care  
after all we've done  
to be as one.  
And life  
is always playing  
with our hearts  
to break us apart._

_In the distance,  
I watch  
as you run  
to me.  
So, I wait and think  
of your stolen kisses  
and my silent tears..._

_Where is the end to this dance?  
We're both tired of this pretence.  
I know you want to come my way  
and so I have to back away.  
We just want something real  
but it isn't ours to feel.  
So, we face the years  
with stolen kisses and silent tears._

_Maybe one day we'd be free  
of these golden chains we're tied to...  
Maybe only then would we see  
if all of our dreams could come true..._

_Where is the end to this dance?  
We're both tired of this pretence.  
With every step you take my way  
that's every step I back away.  
We just want what is real  
but it's not ours to feel.  
So, we face the days  
and all of our years  
with stolen kisses and silent tears._


	13. Pleas For Help

I re-read and re-read the manga part wherein Yuki says "**Lovely baby Shuichi**" and the part where Shuichi wipes a sniffling Yuki's nose with a piece of tissue over and over again. Kawaii! Man, I just can't wait until this fic is out of the _thriller mode_. Anyways…

**Thank you for all those wonderful reviews! I LOVE MY REVIEWERS!**

**Tina/ Black Rose: **Yep, I figured sometimes I use the wrong word but sometimes, I don't realise what I type. Pardon that. I'm glad that you like my writing style. English is one of my favourite subjects (it ties with AddMath and Biology) I'm opting for TESL (Teaching of English as A Second Language) if my exam result (which will be out this WEDNESDAY) isn't good enough for me to pursue a career in the medical field. Hehe… Since my time online is quite limited, I can't afford my stories to be beta-ed. About the Japanese words thing… Okay! I'll try to revise the previous chapters and put the translations at the end of the chapters when I have the time. Thank you for reading and please keep supporting AitSWS!

**Hyper Chef:** In short, poor them all. Taki's a bad guy alright but why must he look like Tat-chan? Hmm… I prefer the manga Taki. He looked less like Tatsuha. (gasp) NO! Shuichi's not the bad guy! But Hiroshi… Hm…

**clari chan:** Good guesses! No.1? Nope. No.2? … Maybe. I'll leave it to your imagination . (Huggles Shu and Eiri too!)

**LilBlue-Hedggie:** O.o.. Don't say that! Never insult your own updating skill. I'm glad you think the chapter is great!

**ichigo-chan:** I hit Hiro because I'm evil. Har har har! Yes, one of the Gravi cast is EVIL! But I'm not gonna tell.

**Fuyuko-chan:** Arigatou for the long review! Now to respond to you:  
1. Hehe… Poor Hiro, huh?  
2. That's right! The evil Arashi will strike!  
3. You mean 'Akai', 'Aoki', 'Arashi' and 'Aoshi'? hehe.. It's hard for me too, especially 'Arashi' and 'Aoshi'. The sounded almost the same.  
4. O.o Really? Thank you! Thank you! My English teacher would be so proud if she hears of this.  
5. Thank you for the support. Personally, I think the flame was funny.  
6. Womanizer-Smoker!Shuichi… No, can't imagine that. Insanely-hyper!Eiri? God, can't imagine that either! Glad that you like it. Please keep supporting me.

**Bram:** Yes, damn me and my cliffies. I just love cliffies too much! One of the twins, eh? We'll see. Oh, don't send your minions after me! NO! See, I updated!

**Kitty in the Box:** They're going after everyone, that's right! YES WAY!

**MonkeyGurL:** Okay, dear… Hiroshi is going to be alright. No one will die… YET.

**Ryuko-chan:** You lurve the lyric? Thank you! Your Hiro-chan will be alright, dear.

**Kolie:** No, Hiro's not shot and he won't die. He's too bloody handsome to die, heh! Yes, you guess it almost right about Taki. Anywho… Kolie-san! When are you going to update **In Love and Hate**? (imagines Shu-chan in mental institution…shudders!)

**Shirubaa Kitsune**, **BeybladeAthene** and **i love athrun**: I updated! Yay!

You know, you guys are welcomed to give me ideas and such in my livejournal, at **siriusangel dot livejournal dot com**.

A pinch of the _sixth sense_ in  
**TRACK 9: PLEAS FOR HELP**

Shiroi was almost giving up trying to look for Kuroi when he saw his twin trying to catch his breath on one of the benches near the exit. The man was sweating like a pig, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt. His black coat was draped casually over his left shoulder. "Kuro! Oi, Kuro! There you are!" The now irritated man ran towards his twin, who had a blank expression upon recognising the appearance of his brother. "Where were you? I've been looking for you all morning!" Shiroi yelled with both his hands on his waist. Kuroi took a deep breath and simply said "Around." The younger twin rolled his eyes at the answer. "Don't give me that shit, bro. I've checked every corner of this building twice and found no trace of you whatsoever. Wait… You weren't…"

Kuroi gulped. "Wh… What?" The searching frown on Shiroi's face was much too unsettling.

"You weren't… slacking on your job to meet some chick, were you?"

A large sweatdrop appeared on Kuroi's head for a second. The _ponytailed_ Inspector sighed a sigh of relieve audibly. "No, of course not."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Suguru was bored – awfully bored. He wondered why he went to work that day when he knew very well Shuichi wouldn't be there. He had been alone in the cafeteria, looking over his new music notes. He hoped Shuichi would sort things out quickly so Bad Luck could finish recording their album, 'Deceptive Harmony'. Suguru didn't really like the title but K said it was brilliant. Then again, K always said that. He wondered what the song was about. Shuichi never showed the lyric to them. He wanted to record it last. K and Sakano were nowhere to be found. He figured they would all be in the studio. A trip from the cafeteria to the studio was not short. He was surprised though, when he saw the door to the studio was ajar. '_Why would the guys leave the door open? How careless could they get? Hmph!_'

Instead of his usual "Good morning!", Suguru let a piercing shriek out of his throat the moment he reached the door. "NO! HIROSHI!" There, on the floor, the guitarist of Bad Luck was lying on his back in a pool of his own blood. His head was bleeding and a dagger was sticking out of his abdomen. "HIROSHI! Oh my God… HELP! SOMEONE'S BEEN ATTACKED!" Suguru reached for Hiro's limp hand and checked for a pulse. It was still there! Hiro was still alive but the pulse was so weak. He quickly reached for his cell phone with his shaking hand and called for the police and the hospital. Suguru cradled Hiro's head and sobbed. "Hiroshi… Hiro, can you hear me? You're going to be alright, okay? You're going to be alright…" The teen repeated his words over and over like a mantra. He sounded like he was telling himself rather than talking to Hiro. Noriko, K and Sakano almost reached the scene a minute later. Noriko screamed at the top of her lung and Sakano promptly fainted. K was cursing in English and tried to get Suguru to calm down.

The keyboardist refused to stop crying. The emotion he had been keeping threatened to burst. Since the first time Suguru met Hiro, the younger boy was transfixed. Hiro's obvious admiration for the oblivious Shuichi kept Suguru from confessing his love for him but now he just didn't care anymore. If Hiro died… No, Suguru didn't want to think about it. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait too long for the ambulance. Hiro was taken to the hospital in a flash with his hand in Suguru's the whole time. Noriko rushed to her car to follow them while K and the revived Sakano stayed at the building. It wasn't long before they were approached by livid Kuroi and Shiroi. Shiroi looked like he was ready to shoot someone and Kuroi's eyes were fiery. They were discussing Ryuichi's attack and the threat note when they were informed of Hiro.

"Damn, this is so frustrating," K groaned, in English. Sakano had tears running down his face and was crying "Oh no! What are we going to do? Bad Luck's going to DIE! NO!" K smacked the producer's head with his shoulder holster. "Calm down, idiot. Hiroshi is going to be alright. If you don't shut up, be prepared to join him there." Sakano shut up. Kuroi stepped in between them a Shiroi patted Sakano's back to calm him down. "Alright, enough of this drama," Kuroi started. "First of, would you please get everyone – I mean, EVERYONE in this building to gather outside? This is the second time in a week NG Records employee gets attacked. It's getting serious." Sakano volunteered for the task and ran for it. K brought his hair down and punched the nearest wall. "Do you think the attacker is the same person who attacked Ryuichi?" he asked the two Inspectors. Shiroi shook his head. "It may not be the same person but we believe they're from the same gang, or society whatever. I don't think it's coincidence that two NG Records employee got attacked in the same week. There must be someone behind all this." Kuroi seconded his brother's statement.

"Actually, someone sent Shuichi a note, threatening to hurt the ones who are close to him. We believe this is done by the same parties who delivered the note," Kuroi explained. He left out the part of where the note came from and why Shuichi was being threatened. No one was supposed to know about that yet.

The American's eyes were wide as he digested the new information. He didn't even realise he had started talking in his native language. "A threat note? Why the hell weren't we informed of this earlier!"

"We weren't sure if the attack on Ryuichi had anything to do with the threat."

"And now you are?"

"We believe we do now."

K sighed audibly. He reached for his cell phone and dialled a familiar number. '_Tohma and Shuichi are going to flip,_' he thought. K waited until the call was answered.

"Seguchi Tohma's speaking."

"Tohma-san, it's K. Something bad has happened in the studio."

A few kilometres away from NG Records, Tohma frowned. "What's happened, K-san?" Shuichi leaned in closer to catch what his manager was saying.

"Hiroshi's been stabbed."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HIRO'S BEEN STABBED!" Shuichi hollered into the phone he had just snatched from Tohma. Tohma would definitely be amazed if K's eardrum wasn't damaged by the intensity of Shuichi's yell. The singer's eyes darkened as he listened to K over the phone. At the mention of the threat, Shuichi hung up, grabbed his helmet and stormed out of the apartment. He blocked Tohma's yell for him to wait and zoomed down the road on his precious Harley. It was a wonder how someone so small could control a large motorcycle at all. In a distance Tenshi Akai and Hino Koori followed Shuichi, doing their duty as bodyguards. Tohma drove to NG Records after talking to K again. He was lucky the police were there so he won't have to deal with the media yet. A large crowd of NG Records employees gathered in front of the building as requested by Kuroi and Shiroi. Only a few people didn't look scared and confused – and that included ASK. Taki was having a hard time to keep himself from smirking. True, he had nothing to do with Hiro's assault but anything bad that happened to Bad Luck made him more than happy. He made a mental note to treat Arashi, Ma and Ken to lunch and dinner later. Camera flashed here and there as Shiroi and Kuroi started moving around to question the crowd of NG Records employees.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

By the time Shuichi arrived at Tokyo University Hospital, Noriko was trying to get Suguru to stop crying. The light of the sign on the Emergency Room door was on, indicating an operation was being carried out inside the room. "Shindou-san!" Suguru flew into Shuichi's arms when he saw the vocalist. Shuichi patted his back and looked at Noriko. "Noriko-san, would you please inform Ryuichi of this? I think he needs to know." '_Ryuichi must be alerted. The threat was not farce._' Noriko nodded and began her way to Room 405. On the way, she wondered why Shuichi said Ryuichi needed to know about this assault.

"What really happened, Suguru?"

"I… I don't know. I was in the café alone and I.. (sobs) I decided to arrange some music in the studio. (sobs) The door was ajar when I got there and Hiro was… (sobs) Hiro was… He was lying unconscious on the floor! His head was bleeding and a dagger was sticking out of his stomach! (sobs) Shindou-san, I was so scared! He wouldn't answer me. I thought… (sobs) I thought he was dead!"

Shuichi closed his eyes. Bitter memories threatened to resurface in his mind but there was no way he was letting it get the best of him this time. This is the first time he saw Suguru so fragile. The keyboardist was always calm and collected, much like Tohma. Seeing him broke down like this brought back unwanted memories… '_No! It's not the time for that!_' They were still waiting outside the Emergency Room an hour later when K arrived. "Sakano and Tohma are dealing with the police and those nosy reporters. They'll be here shortly." Shuichi stood up to let K comfort Suguru. He was not used to comforting people, anyway. Noriko, Tatsuha and Ryuichi arrived a few minutes after K. Ryuichi was of course being wheeled by Tatsuha on a wheelchair, much to his dismay. Suguru repeated what he told Shuichi to them. K swore he'd kill the bastard who did this.

"Why didn't you tell us about the threat note, Shuichi?" asked K, looking pointedly at Shuichi. "You could have told us all about it so we could be prepared!" Ryuichi narrowed his eyes, his childlike self forgotten. "You're making it sound as though it's Shuichi's fault when it's not, K!" Even Tatsuha and Noriko were taken aback by the force in Ryuichi's voice. Shuichi shook his head. "No, Ryuichi. K's right. It's my fault."

"But Shu "

"It's true, Ryuichi!"

Noriko stepped in between them. "Wait a moment here. What threat note are you guys arguing about?"

Before anyone could answer, the light was switched off and a doctor emerged from the room. Hiro was out of danger although he might be suffering from mild concussion judging by the blow to his head. The wound on his stomach was stitched and thankfully, no vital organ was damaged. His room was right next to Ryuichi's so it was easy for them to visit the two celebrities at a time. The doctor said Hiro won't be awake for at least ten hours. Ryuichi was ushered to his room by a nurse. Of course he refused at first but agreed when she threatened to prolong his stay in the hospital. By the time Tohma arrived, it was almost past sunset and Hiro was still unconscious.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Eiri looked at the glass in his hand. The melting ice reminded him of Shuichi's voice when he kicked him out of his apartment. It was cold, but not overly cold. How could he not notice the pinch of sadness on the singer's face at that time?

_. "Go away, Uesugi! I don't love you, I never will. I don't even like you! GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

"_Was it just a game for you?"_

"…_Yes"_

Eiri had overlooked Shuichi's hesitation before saying 'Yes' to his question. He didn't understand why, though. Why was Shuichi pushing him away?

"_I really am supposed to be dead, am I not? All these bad things happen because I escaped death six years ago, right?"_

Damn it! What the hell happened six years ago? What did Shuichi mean when he said he escaped death? The loud music around him was not helping any. Eiri wondered why he went to this bar when he could drink peacefully at home.

"_I don't know anything about love but I like him, Tohma. I really do like him! If he stays with me, they'd kill him. I don't want that! He doesn't deserve that! "_

"_I like him so much that it hurts, Tohma-oniichan. I really do…"_

The memory clawed at Eiri's heart the most. Shuichi sounded lost and desperate. It was the second time he heard Shuichi called Tohma '_Tohma-oniichan_'. Why would Eiri be killed if he stayed with Shuichi? What was going on? Did it have something to do with the attack on Ryuichi? Did Shuichi think some people would hurt him like they did Ryuichi? Damn! Too many questions and so little answers. Life was so unfair. Eiri finished his drink and ordered another glass…

And another…

And another…

He was drunk when he saw Kotoba Arashi exiting the bar. In his drunken state, he could still recognise the romance novelist who insulted his works at every chance he got. Heck, he would recognise the irritating man anywhere! What he didn't expect was the small man clinging to Arashi's waist – a man with pink hair like Shuichi! No… It couldn't be Shuichi, right? Shuichi was home, right? He didn't know if it was just a figment of his sight but he swore he saw Arashi turned around and smirked at him before stepping out of the bar with the pink-haired man. '_No! That's not Shuichi! Shuichi likes me. ME!_' Still, curiosity got the best of him and he followed Arashi. He was careful so Arashi wouldn't notice him but when he saw the other novelist groping the pink-haired boy's ass, jealousy and anger surged throughout his body.

"Kotoba Arashi!" He shouted. Arashi turned around and smirked. He clapped his hands twice. Two men suddenly appeared from nowhere and dragged a surprised Eiri into a dark, deserted alley. Arashi paid the boy who impersonated Shuichi and followed them into the alley. Three other men were already there with Aizawa Taki. Eiri was confused. If he was not mistaken, the raven haired man standing before him was the vocalist of the band, ASK. What the heck was happening? He struggled to break free but the two men holding him were too strong. To make matters worse, Eiri was drunk. He couldn't fight to save his life in this state!

"Good evening, Uesugi-san," Taki greeted Eiri mockingly. Arashi stood smirking next to him. "I hope you like your surprise." Eiri's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Rot in hell," he growled. Arashi waved a finger, still smirking. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… Careful, Uesugi. Or, is it Yuki Eiri now? I bet your beloved Shuichi suggested you that name, huh?" Eiri's eyes went wide. How did they know about him and Shuichi? Only people closest to them knew that. "Wh… What do you want, Kotoba?" Arashi looked sideways to Taki, who nodded. "I want you to quit writing."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me. I want you to quit writing. Or else… I'll just let the media knows about the two of you. I think it would do your careers wonderful, don't you think? Famous romance novelist and famous performer... Who would have thought? Not to mention that your lover is still new in this business."

Eiri looked down but didn't say anything. Arashi was angered by the lack of response from the other novelist. He slapped Eiri's face hard. "Say you'll quit, Uesugi." Eiri still didn't say anything. Taki stepped forth and made him look up by grabbing Eiri's hair. "You should thank Arashi for only wanting you to quit writing. But I, on the other hand, have other plans for you."

Eiri tried to keep his cool. He didn't like where this was heading. No, he didn't like this at all.

Taki continued. He knew Eiri wouldn't respond anyway. "Since you're so important to Shindou, I'd so like to know what would happen to him if something happens to his lover. Maybe I'll know… now."

The men's hold tightened. The other three men held metal beating clubs tightly in their hands. Eiri suddenly got an idea of what was going to happen to him. '_Oh my God… They're going to kill me. No! I can't die yet! I want to be with Shuichi! I can't die yet! Someone, anyone, help me!_

_Help me!_

_Shuichi!_'

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

"Huh?"

Shuichi looked up in surprise. He thought he heard someone called out his name. The voice was quite familiar too. "Shuichi, what's wrong?" asked Tohma worriedly. Shuichi shook his head, confusion clear on his face. Was he going crazy or something?

'_Shuichi!_'

There it was again. He looked around but no one spoke. They were looking at him as though he'd gone crazy. Then it clicked. It was Eiri's voice. Why was he hearing Eiri? Did he miss the man that badly? No, of course not. Was it his imagination? He wondered why his heart was beating so fast like something bad was going to happen.

'_Shuichi! Help me!_'

That was it! Something must have happened to Eiri. He ran past K, grabbed the manager's gun and sprinted down the hallway. He ignored K's indignant cries of "SHUICHI YOU IDIOT! THAT'S MY GUN!" Tohma and K were not able to catch up with Shuichi. The singer had already disappeared on his Harley. K punched the nearest wall in exasperation the second time that day. "What the _fuck_ is going on?"

Akai and Koori hopped onto their respected vehicles and followed Shuichi – Akai with his motorcycle and Koori with his car. They had no idea as to why Shuichi stole K's gun and ran off like that. He didn't even receive a phone call. Did the boy possess a sixth sense or something?

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

The glass of orange juice slipped from his hand and shattered. Shindou Aoshi wasn't sure if his eyes were serving him right. He was looking out of the window, thinking of Shuichi when he saw object of his sorrowful thoughts' speeding Harley making its way down the road. He was even more surprised when Akai and Koori followed the same route a moment later. Of course Aoshi didn't recognise the two. '_Was Shuichi being chased?_' he wondered. Just then, the bell rang and Aoshi was jolted out of his thoughts. He was shocked to his core as he opened the door.

"Te… Tenshi-san…"

Shiroi and Kuroi stood there; Kuroi was wearing his mask of coldness while Shiroi looked neutral. "Good evening, Shindou-san," they greeted the green-eyed man. Aoshi nodded and let the two Inspectors in. He didn't do anything wrong, did he? "We're sorry for disturbing you this late but you're in our list of suspects regarding the assaults on Sakuma Ryuichi and Nakano Hiroshi."

'_Kami-sama… Not again!_'

"W—Wait! I know I was there when Ryuichi-san was attacked but I don't even know who Nakano Hiroshi was!"

Kuroi rolled his eyes. "Nakano-san is the guitarist of Bad Luck. He was attacked today, in the morning. Where were you around 10 a.m today, Shindou-san?" Oh, how Kuroi loathed talking to this man! He was the reason for Shuichi's change in personality in the first place. Shiroi felt the same but like his twin, he tried his best to hide it from showing through.

"I was here, in my apartment. I haven't been going anywhere for a few days, save for short trips to the miscellaneous store across the street."

"Is there anyone who can prove that?"

Aoshi suddenly found the floor fascinating to look at. "No, I don't think so."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

More blood spilt from Eiri's bruised lips as the men continued beating him. He was coughing on the damp, hard floor while Taki and Arashi watched him being beaten up with laughing eyes. Damn them! The men froze when a gunshot rang in the air. Taki and Arashi ran, thinking it was the police. The five men hired by them backed away but stopped when a man holding a gun stepped into the light. "Shu.. i… chi…" Eiri stammered. It was Shuichi. He'd come to save him! The thugs dropped their clubs at the murderous glare on Shuichi's face. The young man was seething with anger. The men knew Shuichi's got five bullets left and it meant a bullet for each one of them. They're doomed!

"How dare you!" He howled, rendering the men to shake in fear. Shuichi had been looking all around for Eiri. His heart felt like dying when he found Eiri's apartment empty. These guys were going to be so dead. "Who sent you guys?" He roared. The men didn't answer so Shuichi shot one of them on his thigh. Only then did they answer. "Aizawa Taki and Kotoba Arashi!" Hearing Taki's name flamed Shuichi's anger even more. "Please, don't kill us!" shouted one of them. Shuichi laughed coldly. "Don't kill you, huh? Did you stop to think that when you were beating this guy up? Did you?" Eiri sat up against the wall and stared disbelievingly at Shuichi. He looked ready to murder someone. The injured man had dropped to his knees, apparently in shock and pain. The remaining four were sweating like pigs.

Shuichi took aim, taking relish in the horror on the men's faces. "Die."

"NO, SHUICHI! DON'T!"

Akai stepped forth and grabbed the gun from Shuichi's hand. Koori shot the five men with his special gun which was loaded with anaesthetic pins. "Let go of me! They hurt Eiri! Let me kill them! Let me kill them!" Koori called the police and went to help Eiri to his feet while Shuichi struggled in Akai's arms. Seeing no other way to calm Shuichi down, Koori shot him with the anaesthetic. Shuichi went limp straight away in Akai's arms.

"Will he be okay?" Eiri asked hoarsely. Koori smiled. "He's just sleeping. Honestly, young man, you should worry about yourself first. Now, let's get the two of you home and leave these thugs to the police to handle. You can make a statement later."

Eiri nodded and let his self be guided to Koori's car while keeping his eyes on Shuichi the whole time. By the time he was settled in there nicely, the police arrived. He ran his fingers through Shuichi's hair lovingly. Eiri smiled in spite of of his pain. '_Thank you for saving me, Shuichi._'

**To Be Continued in Track 10: Unravelling The Past**

Did you know 'Kotoba' means 'word'? I guess it's fitting, considering his career. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. Okay, I know I'm evil to poor Eiri-chan but hey! At least I didn't let them rape him…Thanks to Shu! Didn't see that coming did you? Murderous!Shuichi… Heh heh heh! Make me remember the plot of my next AU Gravi fic (wink! hint!) A little bit of HiroxSuguru and RyuichixTatsuha will add to the flavour in Track 10. I plan to make it longer than this. Wish me luck! As for now…

Reviews, anyone? Pwetty pwease? With a cherry on top?


	14. Unravelling The Past

Oooh! Lookie! Over 100 reviews. I'm soooo glowing with happiness! THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR READING MY FAN FICTION! PLEASE KEEP READING AND SUPPORTING ME! Now to get personal :

**Kimika:** True love… Yuki and Shuichi… (drools)  
**ichigo chan:** I think Shuichi with a gun is cool. Hehehe. It's quite hard to write that scene with Taki and Arashi, though. I'm glad it turned out okay. Now I have to get K to give Shuichi a verbal lashing for stealing his gun.  
**kriziamoon:** Eiri will always be safe until I put up the death warning sign. Hopefully, I don't have to.  
**i love athrun:** Done!  
**asato-chan:** Yes, 'Shuichi with a gun'! I just killed all of his cuteness with this image, didn't I?  
**wolfie:** Actually, Eiri is pretty damn sweet in the manga, especially in volume 8 and onwards. The OVA and TV series are quite unsatisfactory for me. Thank you for reading this fic!  
**Jai-mOony:** Er, Eiri is not an _uke_ in this fic. He's still the _seme_ (refer to Tracks 5 and 6). Glad that you like how I picture Shu-chan  
**TaraYuki-Uesugi:** Yep, Heroic!Shuichi. Cool, huh? Shuichi's going to beat the crap out of Taki and Arashi, that's for sure. Just wait and see.  
**Mizuky:** Aww, you're so very sweet! I like Shu being protective. That's why I write this fic. Writing gives me the power to create the world that I want. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Please stay until AitSWS ends.  
**MonkeyGurL:** Like I said, Hiro's too handsome to die. I'd rather it be Sakano (no offence, Sakano fans – Hey, it rhymes! Hahaha.) I hope you love the length of this chapter.  
**LilBlue-Hedggie:** You really would! Wow, I totally respect you! I'd just convince my dad to let me get myself a gun license when I'm old enough.  
**Bram:** Taki is involved in what? Um, you really think it's Kuro-chan? Hehehe… Well, I dunno.  
**Kitty in the Box:** I wonder how my readers will react if I let them rape Yuki before Shu arrives… Nah! Not going to risk anything. Anywho, I'm glad you like the murderous Shuichi. Hyper-cutie-murderous-rage!Shuichi… Hmm… You're right, that wouldn't work.  
**Kolie:** Yep, silly anime-Yuki. I really, really, like the manga-Yuki, though. So possessive but cute towards the end. Umm… Back to topic at hand. Yep, the whole sixth sense thing. Glad that you like it too. It was a spur of the moment addition when I was typing, really. The original plot didn't have that. Yay, you updated ILaH! Like I said, I like Aiko (winks).

Correction! In **Track 9**, Suguru was supposed to call Shuichi **'Shindou-kun'** instead of **'Shindou-san'**. Okay? In this chapter, you are going to be treated with a crap load of emotional displays.

"_Crawling through this world as disease flows through my veins  
I look into myself, but my own heart has been changed  
I can't go on like this  
I loathe all I've become"  
_- **Away From Me - Evanescence –**

A kingdom of emotions in  
**TRACK 10: UNRAVELLING THE PAST**

The atmosphere was never this uptight in Shindou-Sakuma residence. The air-conditioned living room felt warm. Shuichi sat on the sofa, glaring coldly at the object of his irritation: Akai and Koori. Mika and Tohma were looking after Eiri in Shuichi's bedroom. The novelist's wounds had been cleaned and dressed long before the sleeping drug in Shuichi's system wore off. Shuichi had wanted to confront Taki and Arashi straight away but Akai and Koori held him back. "What were you there for? Have you guys been following me or something?"

The two bodyguards shared a glance.

"Well, aren't any of you going to speak up?"

Koori sighed and took a seat beside Shuichi. He put a hand on the vocalist's shoulder, earning a pointed glare from the young man. "There's no need to lie now. A little over a week ago, Tohma-kun called me to his office. He told me about the return of Shindou Aoshi to Tokyo and hired me to guard you. He felt as though something bad was going to happen to you."

Akai sat down beside Shuichi as well. It was easier for him to speak when he was closer to the addressee. "On the same day, Ryuichi went to see Hoshino-san at Sakuma Holding. He asked the man to hire some bodyguards for you. Hoshino-san contacted me straight away and I accepted the job without a second thought. I would have volunteered had he not hired me anyway."

Shuichi could not believe his ears. Tohma and Ryuichi had arranged a few bodyguards for him behind his back. Did they think he was fragile? "Let me get this straight. You (he pointed to Akai) work for Ryuichi and you (he pointed to Koori) work for Tohma. Is that right? Why, pray tell, didn't anyone inform me of this? In case you haven't noticed, the people around me obviously need more guarding than I do. Ryuichi, Hiro and Eiri were hurt and you guys were guarding only me! What kind of injustice is this? My life is not that valuable!"

"That's nonsense!" A new voice from the doorway interrupted Shuichi's tirade. The group's eyes went wide upon seeing the person. Standing there wearing black jeans and loose brown shirt was Ryuichi, who looked way out of character. His anger was showing through although it was unclear as to whom it was directed to. "How did you get here, Ryuichi? You aren't supposed to be out of the hospital yet!" Shuichi reprimanded. He would have shouted if Eiri was not in his room, sleeping under the influence of a sleeping drug. A taller man emerged from the doorway, chuckling softly despite the eerie atmosphere around him. Akai raised an eyebrow. "Shiro?" Shiroi mock-saluted his brother and turned to Shuichi. He was not fazed by the icy glare being sent his way. "Ryuichi insisted he was fine enough to be discharged. The doctor refused, of course. Then he started singing 'Resurrection' at the top of his lung and went around attacking the doctor and nurses with his infamous 'Kumagorou Beam'. They had no choice but to let him have his way. I swear, this guy is a manipulative devil in disguise."

"Where's Tatsuha?" asked Shuichi. The anger on Ryuichi's face subsided. "He went to Tohma's to get his stuff. He's staying here with us." Shuichi's eyes immediately went wide at the statement. He grabbed Ryuichi's hand and dragged him into their mini studio, ignoring Shiroi's shout of "Oi, be careful! He's just been released from the hospital!". Good thing the room was soundproof. "What do you thing you're doing? Tatsuha can't stay here!" Shuichi hissed, stressing the word 'can't'. Ryuichi shook his head. "Of course he can. This is my house too and I have the right to invite whomever I want."

"You'd be putting him in danger! I'm already a danger to you and now you're getting Tatsuha involved too."

"They're bound to get me sooner or later. I'm not putting Tatsuha in more danger than he already was in. I'm keeping him near me so I can make sure he's fine."

"Eh?"

"If he's around, I can always be sure that nothing bad happens to him. Tohma is arranging Tatsuha's transfer to Tokyo. He'll be studying at Tokyo Private High School. Uesugi-sama promptly agreed when Tohma told him Tatsuha was in danger. He didn't even ask what kind of danger his son was in. He trusts Tohma and Tohma trusts me. I'll make sure he's safe by keeping him near me."

"I knew it," Shuichi sighed. "You're in love with him."

Ryuichi nodded. "I am. I have come to accept the fact, shoving aside our age difference. It scared me to death but I'm not going to give up before even trying. You know, I've never blamed you for anything, Shu. But I must say that your method of trying to keep Eiri-san safe is wrong. Very wrong."

Shuichi blinked. He was almost convinced that Ryuichi could read minds. Getting no answer from the much younger man, Ryuichi continued. "You told him to go away because you thought it would keep him safe. You thought the bad guys won't go after him if he's not by your side. You can try to deny but I know better, Shuichi. How long do you think I've known you? I know you feel something for Eiri. That's why you pushed him away."

Shuichi looked away. He stared at the guitar resting against the keyboard stand. A few strings were undone and he hadn't bothered to replace the broken strings with new ones. He forgot Ryuichi could almost read him like open book. Eiri… The novelist had somehow managed to find a way to his heart with his soft smiles and honey words. It was painful for Shuichi to let him go. It was even more painful for him to say he didn't even like the other man when he really liked him. Was Ryuichi right? Was what he had done wrong?

"_Of course it's wrong, na no da!_" A small voice spoke in his mind. It sounded so much like his old self - his self when the butterfly was still dancing and bathing in ethereal sunlight. "_How would you make sure he's safe if he's out of your eyesight? You're so, so silly na no da!_" said the voice again. Ryuichi knew Shuichi was having a battle with his inner self. He waited for the boy to start talking again.

Meanwhile, three men related to each other stood staring at the closed door of the mini studio. "What are they talking about in there? I don't like secrets," Akai mumbled to no one in particular. Shiroi rolled his eyes at his brother's words. "Don't be such a hypocrite, Akai-oniisan. You keep a crap load of secrets to yourself as well. God knows how many times Aoki-oniisan tried to dig them and you told him '_Secrets are secrets_'." Akai glared. "Must you always be a smartass, Shiro?" Shiroi grinned. "Not really. I just love to piss you off." The intensity of Akai's glare grew. How he'd dealt with this guy for twenty seven years, he didn't know. "Masochist," Akai mumbled under his breath.

Koori was staring at a grandfather clock situated at one corner of the living room or rather; he was staring at the swinging pendulum. He was so worried when they found Shuichi holding the gun. He remembered what Tohma told him six years ago.

About young Shuichi and guns…

Okay, it was not the right time to drown in memories. "Shiroi," he called without taking his eyes off the pendulum. "Shouldn't Kuroi be with you? Where is he?" Shiroi pondered the question for a while and shrugged. "I don't know. He's got a day off today. He went out at seven and hasn't called to tell me of his whereabouts. To tell the truth, he's been more distant than before these past few days. I wonder what's wrong with him. You know Kuroi. He's even worse than Akai-oniisan." Akai huffed but chose not to comment on what Shiroi said. Like the Inspector stated before, he just loved to piss his brother off. Akai was not about to give his youngest brother the satisfaction.

Without warning, the door to the mini studio swung open with a bang. Shuichi took a few big steps towards the front door, grabbed his helmet and put on his shoes. "Where are you going, Shuichi?" asked Koori. Shuichi turned to them and glared. "Out. And don't follow me. Akai, you should go check on Tatsuha-kun. Make sure he's perfectly safe. Koori, stay here and check the entire house; first and second floor altogether. The key to my study is in the drawer of my nightstand. K will take care of Suguru, Sakano-san and Hiro. I don't want to be followed and that's that." With that, he slammed the door shut. He hoped he didn't wake Eiri in the process.

The conversation he had with Ryuichi had taken another turn when the older man asked him who the culprit who attacked Eiri was. Shuichi remembered the names as clear as day. Aizawa Taki and Kotoba Arashi. He did not know who the latter was but he'd heard of a romance novelist named Kotoba before. He did not care what their excuses were. No one hurt his friends, certainly not his lover. Those two shall pay dearly. As he descended the floors, Shuichi made a quick phone call to NG Records.

"Good morning. You've reached NG Records. May I help you?"

"This is Shindou Shuichi. Have the members of ASK arrived yet?"

"Yes, they have, Shindou-sama. There's also this handsome guy with black hair with them."

Shuichi smirked. The aforementioned 'guy' must be THE Kotoba Arashi. "Good. Don't tell anyone I called."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

"_Aoshi-sensei! I did it! I did it, na no da!" 8-year-old Shuichi jumped up and down with joy after playing the entire music note to his tutor. He was careful though, to make sure nothing would damage his violin in the process. Tohma and Ryuichi were on tour. Nittle Grasper was growing bigger day by day. Shuichi missed his Tohma-oniichan and Ryuichi-oniichan so much but he was never bored when his Aoshi-sensei was around. Aoshi clapped his hands, smiling brightly. "That was great, Shu-chan! I never met someone as young as you who could play the violin just as greatly. Tohma-san and Ryuichi-san were right. You're a natural."_

"_You really think I'm great, na no ka?"_

_Aoshi nodded sincerely. Even after almost a year of being this boy's music and art tutor, Shuichi never ceased to amaze him. The boy could compose a complete melody within an hour. "Yes, Shu-chan. I think you're great and you're going to be greater. People are going to love your music so much that they would be hesitant to turn off their TVs and radios. But there's something you have to know." Aoshi held up a finger._

_Shuichi tilted his head in confusion. "What is it, Aoshi-sensei?"_

"_A melody is not complete without words. A message cannot be delivered without lyrics. A melody is the soul of music but a lyric is what gives life to it. Remember, there's no real music without melodies and lyrics. When there's no real music, there's no song. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"_

"_Um… A little. You mean, unless I give words to my melodies, they can't be considered music?"_

"_Exactly! That's why I'm going to teach you how to write song lyrics. Then you can learn to sing like your Ryuichi-oniichan and play like your Tohma-oniichan. They're going to be so proud of you. Your parents will be too."_

_Shuichi immediately brightened. He put his violin on the table and jumped into Aoshi's arms. "Waii! Shuichi is so happy, na no da! Shuichi loves Aoshi-sensei so much, na no da! Arigatou!" Aoshi laughed and swung the boy around._

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

That was the happy days.

That was a memory of lives before the storm.

Aoshi stared at the glass in his hands absent-mindedly. His talk with Kuroi and Shiroi the night before was so unnerving. Still, he did not blame them for suspecting him. He just could not. He had gained their trust once and he had broken it. Although the crime was committed in the absence of rationality, the guilt never stopped eating at him. The hatred in the Inspectors eyes was so apparent that Aoshi did not dare to meet their eyes. It felt like six years ago again. The difference was that there were four people confronting him back then - Tohma, Ryuichi, Akai and Koori. A few months later, Akai and Koori resigned from their position. No one knew why but Aoshi presumed it had something to do with the disaster he had caused.

After the confrontation, Aoshi visited Shuichi in the hospital. What happened there, he would never forget for as long as he was alive.

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

_Aoshi swallowed the lump in his throat as he approached the 12-year-old Shuichi in his hospital room. The boy had his back to him, staring at nothing at all out of the open window. The cold sweats trickling down Aoshi's forehead built up in amount. Shuichi and silence did not mix. No, they did not mix well at all. "Shuichi," he called the boy's name but received no answer. So, he tried again. "Shuichi, Shu-chan… I… I'm sorry."_

_Shuichi hesitated for a while but in the end, he turned around to meet his mentor's eyes. Aoshi almost had a heart attack at what he saw. The usually bright eyes were gazing at him coldly, void of their brilliance and sparkle. The love, admiration, respect and adoration they eyes once held for him had been replaced with hatred and extreme loathing. The smiling face was gone. In its place was an emotionless expression wherein the lips were clamped shut. "What are you doing here?" 'Oh, God!' Aoshi gasped. That was not Shuichi's voice. It was too cold to be Shuichi. A twelve-year-old shouldn't sound this cold! "You've lost the right to call my name or even think about it the moment you sold my family."_

"_Shuichi…" Aoshi shook his head and tried to reach for the boy. His hand was rudely slapped away. "Don't touch me, you traitor! There's enough germs on me without you touching me. Get out! Get out and don't you dare come near us again. GET OUT!" Shuichi bellowed. Aoshi stumbled back at the force in his voice. What had he done? What the fuck had he done? His sweet, loving Shuichi… He, Shindou Aoshi, had killed the boy! "I… Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to –"_

"_SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! GET OUT OF MY LIFE! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL, SHINDOU AOSHI! I HATE YOU! I LOATHE YOU!"_

_With tears in his eyes, Aoshi turned around and ran. He did not know how long he cried but he knew enough that he almost became blind. It did not matter if he did, though. It would not be enough punishment for his sin._

_The next day, Shindou Aoshi disappeared without a trace from Japan._

…………………..

…………………..

…………………..

To these days, Aoshi still could not comprehend what had possessed him to consume so much alcohol and told the enemies of the whereabouts of his protégé's family when he knew very well they were in hiding. He could not even remember the men who asked him and gave him the money. Why did he not remember?

Wait, he did remember.

It was someone close to Shuichi and his family. Someone very close…

But who was it?

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

"Suguru."

"Suguru, wake up."

Suguru groggily opened his eyes as he felt someone softly shook his shoulder. He was greeted with Hiro's smiling face as soon as his vision cleared. Tears unconsciously filled his eyes. "Hiro! You're awake! Oh, God! You're really awake!" Hiro blinked, surprised at Suguru's reaction. The younger boy had his hands around Hiro's neck, careful to avoid putting pressure onto his wounded abdomen. When Suguru pulled away from the hug, he started to sob. He was being way out of character. The usually calm, _Tohma-tic_ Suguru was breaking down in front of him! "I was so scared when I saw you on the floor. You wouldn't move! You wouldn't answer me! Oh, Hiro! I thought you were dead!"

"Suguru…"

"I screamed for help. I was so afraid that the help would arrive too late "

"Suguru…"

" and the blood just kept flowing! I thought you were going to die and I mmph!"

The rest of Suguru's words died as Hiro's lips covered his own. He blinked stupidly. It took a while for his mind to register the fact that his secret love was kissing him. Suguru closed his eyes and kissed back. '_It's okay, Hiro won't hate me for this. He kissed me first after all._' The kiss lasted for only about a minute but it was enough to make Suguru flushed cherry red. "Why'd you do that?"

Hiro smirked. "To shut you up."

Disappointment was evident on Suguru's face. "Oh…" He failed to notice Hiro's playful grin. The next thing Suguru knew, he was in Hiro's embrace. "Damn, this isn't like you. That was only partly true, Suguru."

"Eh?"

"That kiss was to shut you up but (Hiro nuzzled Suguru's cheek and whispered into his ear) it's also something I've been dying to do for a while now."

The flush returned to the keyboardist's cheek. "Eeeeeeeeeh?"

Hiro trapped his face in between his hands, his eyes boring into Suguru's. "When I was attacked, the last word I remembered saying was your name. I thought I was going to die too. The pain was so unbearable that I passed out. Before I blacked out, I regret never telling you how I feel about you. I thought I'll die before telling you that."

"How you… feel about me?"

"For God's sake, you're so bloody clueless for a genius. Suguru, I. Love. You." A chaste kiss landed on Suguru's forehead. For the second time that morning, tears stung the boy's eyes. "Oh, Hiro! I love you too! I've always loved you! I thought you have something for Shindou-kun and I thought I won't stand a chance with you!"

"Idiot. Stop crying. This is so unlike you, Su-chan."

Suguru giggle despite his tears. "Su-chan? I like that." Hiro kissed the younger teen's tears away, running his fingers through Suguru's hair. The two leaned in for a kiss…

… but was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing his throat.

"I see you're awake, Hiroshi," K was leaning against the doorway, smirking evilly. Sakano ran to Hiro's side, crying. "Nakano-kun! Thank God you're awake!" The producer looked so pathetic with tears streaming down his face. Suguru and Hiro sweatdropped at Sakano's emotional display. "How are you feeling?" asked K, drawing the attention back to him. Hiro gave a victory sign. "Just a little sore. The headache isn't bad either. Damn concussion." The last sentence struck something in Hiro's mind. He inwardly cursed whoever it was that attacked him. "And damn the bastard who attacked me. Have the police found the suspects yet?"

"To be honest, all of NG Records employees are the suspects."

Hiro's jaw dropped at what K had just said. Suguru, having pulled away from Hiro and still blushing, squirmed in his seat. Hiro was staring incredulously at K. His gaze shifted from K to Sakano and from Sakano to Suguru. "All?"

The guitarist paled as he received an affirmative nod from K. "Yes, all. Even Tohma, Shuichi and your own self."

"What the fuck does that mean? Did they think I hurt myself?"

K then proceeded to tell Hiro about the threat directed to Shuichi. If possible, Hiro's expression grew paler. He had known Shuichi for more than three years. Although his friend was usually cold, he was not a bastard enough to have people after his life. The vocalist did smile occasionally even if those smiles never reached his eyes. Who could be after Shuichi? Their little discussion was interrupted when a doctor entered the room. Hiro was healing fast and could already be released the next day. Thankfully, the stab on his abdomen was not serious. Hiro had to keep himself from laughing out loud when K told him how Ryuichi convinced the staff to release him earlier. If only he was awake by then…

Hiro made a mental note to talk to Shuichi later. From what Suguru told him, Shuichi was pissed-off when he heard of Hiro's attack. K growled angrily at the mention of the words 'Shuichi' and 'pissed-off' in the same sentence. He still had not confronted the young man about stealing his gun.

Well, there was plenty of time yet.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Taki's head hit the wall with a sickening thud. Ma and Ken were already knocked unconscious at one corner of the room. Arashi was trying to lessen the pain on his stomach. His jaw was almost dislocated. Ouch! Who would have thought the small Shindou Shuichi was so powerful? A swift blow to Taki's abdomen made the singer groaned in pain. Shuichi's eyes were filled with murderous rage that no one thought was possible. "The pain you're feeling is nothing compared to what you put Eiri through, you bastard." Another blow and a powerful kick sent Taki flying backwards, hitting the wall even more. "You… You're a murderer!" Shuichi yanked his head and bang it against the wall, taking pleasure when Taki cried out in pain. "Say what you want, Aizawa. If you ever lay a finger on Eiri again, I'll personally kill you and throw your rotting corpse for the stray dogs to eat. And you – " He used his other hand to yank Arashi's bowed head. "Threaten Eiri again and meet the same fate as this dunderhead here. Am I understood?"

The two pitiful celebrities nodded fearfully. Shuichi smirked again and banged their heads against each other, knocking both of them unconscious. Just then, the door swung open to reveal a panting Tohma. "You're late," the vocalist stated the obvious nonchalantly. Tohma looked at the scene in front of him and gasped. "Shuichi? You They "

"Chill, Tohma. They're still alive, unfortunately." Shuichi wiped his bloodied hands using a handkerchief as Tohma sighed in relieve. "Really Shuichi, you shouldn't have done this. Aizawa and Kotoba are going to be arrested, anyway."

"When they are, I can't beat the shit out of them anymore. Better have the fun before it goes away."

"Shuichi…"

"Don't 'Shuichi' me, Tohma. Two people I cared about were attacked on the same day. I have every right to be pissed-off once in a while. Who told you I'm here? And aren't you supposed to be taking care of Eiri?"

"He's awake. Mika's taking care of him. She wanted to bring him home but he refused. As for me, I have to 'entertain' the raging media and talk to the police about Eiri-san and Nakano-san's attack and the men you've just beaten up."

"… I'm going back. Make sure they get what they deserve."

Tohma did not stop Shuichi from leaving. Sure, you don't mess with a pissed-off Shuichi unless you have a death wish. Taki started to regain consciousness. With a smile, Tohma took off his glove and punched the soon-to-be-ex-singer's back into the land of darkness. "That was for beating up my brother-in-law and threatening our precious Shuichi." He _happily_ called the police and waited until they were taken away. Knowing Tohma, he was going to use all of his power and influence to make sure Taki and Arashi would spend their life in jail.

Uh-huh, Seguchi Tohma ruled the universe.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

"Tatsuha-kun!" Ryuichi immediately glomped Tatsuha as the teen entered the apartment, with Akai in tow. Koori was still checking the second floor for hidden cameras or surveillance bugs. Shiroi had left the apartment after receiving a call from Kuroi. "Woa, careful Ryuichi! You just got out of the hospital!" Ryuichi let go of Tatsuha and pouted. "I'm perfectly healthy, na no da! Kumagorou says so too. Nee, Kumagorou?" He made the plush bunny nodded its head and stuck his tongue out at Tatsuha. The singer then helped put Tatsuha's luggage in the guestroom on the second floor. Akai, on the other hand, made himself at home in the living room. Tatsuha was about to hang his clothes in the closet when Ryuichi's hand covered his. He looked down at the man he secretly loved and openly worshipped and gulped. "Ryu… Ryuichi?"

"Tatsuha-kun," he gave Tatsuha's hand a light squeeze and looked into the boy's eyes. "You already know about the threat, right?" Tatsuha nodded, wondering why Ryuichi was being so serious all of a sudden. "I want you to know that I will always be there for you. I won't let them harm you like they did me, Hiro-kun and Eiri-san. I'll protect you." Tatsuha was overwhelmed with emotion. Ryuichi promised to protect him… His God had just promised to protect him, a mere mortal who was hopelessly in love with said God. "Ryuichi… You don't have to do that."

"But I have to. I can't let them harm you!"

"Why?"

"… Because I care about you and I… and I…"

Tatsuha breathed in sharply. Was Ryuichi going to say what he though the man was going to say? "And you…?"

"And I… I love you, _romantically_."

Tatsuha's gasp of shock filled the silent room. For a moment, no one spoke. "Ryu… i… chi…"

Apparently, Ryuichi mistook Tatsuha's lack of response for rejection and started waving his hands around frantically. "Look… I know I'm too old for you but I can't help it. I just… know that I love you. I don't know how or when it happened but I… God, Tatsuha-kun, I'm sorry if I upset you. I just want you to know how I feel. I'll just leave you alone to unpack." Tatsuha quickly pulled Ryuichi back and pinned him to the bed before the vocalist could flee. Kumagorou was thrown across the room in the process. "Tatsuha-kun?" Ryuichi suddenly felt like crying. What if he had made Tatsuha upset the the boy was mad at him. "You know, I've come to know you as a very selfless person so don't you start being selfish now. How could you say what you wanted to say but try to run before I had the chance to reply?"

"Tatsuha-kun…"

"Listen, I know I'm young. People say you don't fall in love when you're my age but they are not always right. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't know what love is! You should have known how I feel by the way I acted around you."

TAP!

Ryuichi blinked as a drop of warm liquid hit his face. "Tatsuha-kun… You're crying."

"When I first saw you fell down that day, I was frozen where I stood. You didn't move and I was so scared. I couldn't bring myself to look at the blood on the floor. In the hospital, I did the only think I could – I stayed by your side. I've realised my feeling for you is more than that of a fan towards his idol. So I cried. I cried because I don't think you'd ever feel the same. I love you, Ryuichi."

Ryuichi squealed happily and pulled Tatsuha into a kiss. The kiss was chaste but sweet, like a promise of a life for two. "Tatsuha-kun, I'm so happy! I promise I'll be with you for as long as you want me!" "Hmm… Then you'd better get used to how I act because I'm not letting go of you forever."

"Hai! I hope Mika-chan won't kill me for this."

"If she tries to, I'll be there to protect me like you'll protect me."

Ryuichi giggle, hugging Tatsuha close to him. "I really love you, Tatsuha-kun."

"I know. I love you too."

Koori suppressed the urge to chuckle as he overheard the new couple's conversation. Maybe Akai was right. He should have opted to work as a spy or a private investigator instead. Hino Koori – The Master of Eavesdropping. Who would have thought? On his way to the first floor, he heard the sound of the front door softly clicking shut. A weak "Tadaima" was heard, and Koori let a relieved sigh escaped his throat. Shuichi went straight to the kitchen, followed by Akai and Koori. The bodyguards were taken aback at the sight that greeted them. Shuichi's hands were red with traces of blood. His shirt was also stained with what looked like blood too. "Oh my God! Shuichi! There's blood on you!" Koori shrieked.

Shuichi shrugged nonchalantly, taking the stained clothes off and threw it straight into the waste bin. "Not mine." It took a while before the message got through. When it did, a look of horror crossed Akai and Koori's face. "Shu… You didn't…" Akai stammered but Shuichi cut his words off. "No, I didn't kill anyone. I wish I did, though." Shuichi took a medium sized pot and put it on the stove. Koori watched as the singer took vegetables and sliced chicken meat out of the fridge. "Are you making chicken soup?"

"Don't ask something you already have the answer to."

"Smartass. Back to our previous topic. What do you mean you wish you did kill someone?"

"… They treated Eiri like the guy wasn't human.You should have let me killed them."

Akai banged his fist on the kitchen table. "And what? Let you shoot them so you can repeat history? Remember what happened the last time you shot someone, Shuichi?"

"Shut up! This time it's different. I know what I'm doing."

"What if you shot Eiri-san, then?"

Shuichi stopped what he was doing. He turned to face them and pointed sharply at the door. "You know what? Why don't you get out of this kitchen so I can work in peace? Someone is sick in one of the bedrooms, if I recall correctly." An eyebrow was raised, challenging Akai and Koori to contradict him. The two ex-police officers huffed and retreated to the living room, muttering something about 'stubborn fool' and 'cold-hearted git' under their breath. Shuichi smirked but Akai's last words annoyed him greatly.

"_What if you shot Eiri-san, then?"_

Shuichi shook his head violently and returned to the task at hand. The soup was finished within an hour. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on his bedroom's door. Mika opened said door and glared as she saw who it was. Shuichi ignored her completely and balanced the tray he was carrying, making his way to Eiri's side. The novelist brightened up as he saw Shuichi entered the room. "Shuichi!" Mika rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut as she left the room, leaving the two together. "What's that? Chicken soup?" Eiri asked happily. Although he seemed happy, his energy was still not enough to allow him on his feet by his own. So, he was stuck in bed. Shuichi said nothing, he just spooned the hot soup, blew at it for a few seconds and help the spoon up to Eiri's lips.

Eiri blinked stupidly before it registered in his mind that Shuichi was feeding him! He promptly got starry eyed and opened his mouth eagerly. The soup tasted heavenly! Eiri always liked Shuichi's cooking. His sister couldn't cook to save her life. Shuichi was so gentle with his movements. He made sure the soup was not too hot before it reached Eiri's lips. The process replayed until the bowl was empty. Eiri licked his lips and beamed. "That's the most delicious chicken soup I've ever had. You're so great, Shuichi!"

"Stop it." Shuichi's voice was low but hard. Eiri couldn't see his face because Shuichi had his head bowed, his face hidden underneath the magenta locks.

"Shuichi? What's wrong?"

"Stop acting like nothing's wrong! Stop smiling when you're in pain!"

Eiri frowned. "What? I'm not acting!"

"I confronted the bastards - Kotoba and Aizawa. It was because of me. They hurt you to get to me! How could you still smile at me knowing it was me who caused your pain?"

"Kotoba was jealous of me and wanted me to stop writing. As for why I still smile, it's because I love you and I know you cared about me although you keep saying otherwise!"

Eiri expected Shuichi to call him 'baka' but what the singer did surprised him. Shuichi broke down and buried his face in Eiri's stomach. His shoulders shook with heart-wrenching sobs. "It was always me! Ryuichi and Hiro got hurt because of me! You got hurt because of me! My parents died because of me! Why? Why do I bring so much pain to everyone? Why can't I be happy? WHY?"

"Shuichi…" Eiri didn't know that Hiro was hurt the the previous day too. Then, he remembered what he overheard Shuichi said a few days ago.

"_If he stays with me, they'd kill him."_

"Shh… Stop crying, Shuichi. I'm okay, don't cry! This isn't like you at all. Please, stop crying. I hate to see you like this. Please, tell me what's going on. I'm so confused. What's with people around you being attacked? What's happening?"

Shuichi didn't answer. He continued sobbing until he fell asleep. The last thing on his mind before slipping into an exhausted sleep was:

'_Tomorrow. I'll tell everyone tomorrow. No more. I'm tired of pretending. So tired._'

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Hiro was discharged the next day after the doctor changed his bandage. He was not to do heavy tasks for a few days. K drove them to Shuichi's apartment. The night before, the vocalist had called K and requested their presence in his apartment that day. K gave Shuichi a full fifteen minutes of verbal lashing for stealing his gun, which Shuichi ignored completely. Sakano kept fidgeting in his seat while Hiro and Suguru were talking animatedly at the back seats. '_Lovers_,' K groaned inwardly. Why was everyone around him seemed to be gay or bi? Well, at least none of them ever tried to hit on him. When they arrived at the Shindou-Sakuma residence, Tohma, Mika, Noriko, Eiri, Koori, Akai, Tatsuha, Ryuichi and Shuichi were in the living room waiting for them. They were all glad that Hiro was okay already. "So, Shuichi…" K started. "Why is it that you want us all to be here?"

Shuichi cleared his throat and looked at them one by one. Except for Koori, Akai, Tohma and Ryuichi, everyone looked confused and curious. "I guess you've all known about the threat note that was meant for me, right?" They all nodded. "Well, according to the note, all of you are in danger because you're close to me."

A chorus of "What?" rang throughout the living room.

"I'll recite what the threat says:

_The bloodied hands of 'the little child' shall bleed once more  
but this time with his blood instead of ours.  
Sweet, sweet vengeance! The day shall come.  
No sun will shine on him anymore.  
His beloved shall take the first trips -  
and we'll laugh; watching him suffer._

I know it sounds odd but 'the little child' in the note is me."

"How do you know that, Shuichi-san?" asked a curious Tatsuha.

"That's why I asked all of you to be here. Since the bastards have dragged you into this mess, the least I could do is tell you how and when it started even though it would pain me greatly. This is the only time I'll tell you so please listen. It's not a fiction, not a fairy tale. What I'm going to tell you is the story of my life, which is somehow related to Tohma and the rest of the Sakuma family including the Tenshis and the Hinos."

Mika stared at his husband with worried eyes. "Why do I feel like we're not going to like what he's going to say, Tohma?" Tohma squeezed his wife's hand encouragingly and gave her a sad smile. "Trust me. No one would. It wasn't meant to be pleasant, anyway."

Shuichi took a very deep breath to calm down. His heart was beating a mile a minute. "Alright. I'll start from the very beginning." He looked at Ryuichi, earning an affirmative nod from the older singer. He looked at everyone again.

"Let me re-introduce myself. You know me as Shindou Shuichi. But in truth, my name… is Sakuma Shuichi."

Silence, and then…

"W H A T !"

**To Be Continued in Track 11: Innocence Retold**

Been wanting to write that last part since the beginning. **SAKUMA SHUICHI**! YAY! Check out **Track 2.1** and let me know if you could find where I left the first hint. Just for reference, you can view the plan for Shuichi and Ryuichi's apartment at: **www dot predilection dot org slash shuryufirstfloor dot gif**. Did I ever mention that they have second floor as well? I'll draw it later. Anyways, if you want some extras for this fic and my future Gravi fics, always check out my livejournal from time to time: **http colon slash slash siriusangel dot livejournal dot com**. (wink).

I hope you all like the length of this chapter. 13 pages with Arial 10pt font. Woot! Okay, reviews anyone? PLEASE?


	15. Innocence Retold

Waiiii! (sobs) I'm so happy with all of your reviews. It really feels like this story is not 'talking' alone. Thank you sooooo much, everyone! If you have time, check out also my new Gravi fic, '**Solitude Chronicles**'.

**kriziamoon:** Wow… I rendered someone speechless!  
**i love athrun:** Done.  
**Shirubaa Kitsune:** O.o… Surprised?  
**ichigo-chan:** You do? I'm glad. And about Aoshi suggestion thing… Deary, did you read my mind? Will do! And the mean guy… Kuroi, huh? I'm still not saying anything. Mwahahaha!  
**Fuyuko-chan:** 10 points out of 10 for you! Yes, you got the hint right!  
**Kitty in the Box**: Tatsuha and Ryuichi… (drools) Yep, I just lurve them.  
**MonkeyGurL:** Track 11's up! I hope you like Shuichi's past.  
**LilBlue-Hedggie:** 10 points for you too! You got the hint right (wink). Let's laugh at Taki and Arashi together. (cackles evilly)  
**Hyper Chef:** Actually, I wasn't aware that the previous chapter has two cliffies. Haha… Shuichi is a Sakuma alright. Read on, dear!  
**sakura blossoms4:** Updated!  
**Bram:** (sobs) Oh, please don't hate me! And NO! Don't die! I'm saving you right now. See? Track 11!  
**Xazenru:** Thank you for the favs!  
**Kolie:** I'm SO glad that you like the TatsuhaxRyuichi part! I almost ran out of ideas for that scene. I swear, my English is getting worse everyday (sigh).  
**Mizuky:** Brave Shu is amazing. TRUE! TRUE! Anyway, umm, did you say 'lemon'? I don't know. I never wrote one. I don't know if I can but if I ever have the courage to do one, I'll announce it. Besides, this fic is rated PG-13. So… Lemme think.  
**elf-princess4:** How could I stop there? Because I could, hahahaha!   
**BeybladeAthene**: Glad that you love the fact XD  
**Yukichi:** Truth be told, genki Eiri scares me too. Sorry for not updating soon enough, though!  
**Anna-Angel:** Okay! I promise it will be good.  
**sakurastar-63:** And you'll get more XD.  
**0oXxSakuraxXo0:** It does? Thank you!  
**B Wanted:** Suspense? That's new… Here's an update!

AND HERE'S THE START OF THE SECRET! YAY!

Keep in mind that for at least a couple of upcoming chapters, you won't find Eiri, Tatsuha, Hiro, Mika, Suguru and Sakano. This chapter lacks dialogue and is basically a narration of the past. I think it's quite… lame. I'm sorry if this chapter is too short. I have to find time for SC, filling forms and sorting through college and uni offers I got.

_**And I'm terribly SORRY for the delay. For some demented reasons (and I'm blaming my ISP for it), I couldn't get online at home so now, I'm posting this from a Cyber Café. Gosh, I feel so bad!**_

Fragments of memory in  
**TRACK 11: INNOCENCE RETOLD**

Shuichi tried very hard not to look at Eiri and Hiro. The hurt in their eyes was so apparent that it hurt. Sakano being Sakano fainted on the spot at the shocking revelation. For once, K's hands fell to his sides and looked surprised. Tatsuha was looking back and forth from Ryuichi to Shuichi. Mika gaped, looking at Ryuichi, Noriko and Tohma for confirmation. Ryuichi looked away, Noriko stared at her feet and Tohma smiled sadly. "I only know his real name and who he is but I don't know why he changed it," said Noriko in almost a whisper. Shuichi was a Sakuma, which meant that…

"Sakuma… Shuichi…" Eiri stammered. His heart constricted in his chest. Never once did Shuichi mention it to him. "Then… you and Ryuichi-san are…"

"Brothers? Yes, we are," Ryuichi answered the question for Eiri. The crowd gasped again. The always thought the resemblance between Shuichi and Ryuichi was coincidence. After all, Shuichi did mention that his idol was Ryuichi. They all thought he wanted to be like his idol and childhood friend – also a mentor, tutor, and a companion. They never thought they were really related by blood. Shuichi took a picture out of his wallet and showed it to them. It was of a smiling couple. The man had chestnut brown hair while the woman had pink hair much like Shuichi's. Mika gasped. "They're Ryuichi's parents." She remembered a picture of little Ryuichi Tohma showed her once. Ryuichi shook his head at that. "They're mine and Shuichi's parents. I have our father's hair and Shuichi has our mother's. We both have our mother's eye colour." Indeed, the woman in the picture had a bright pair of violet eyes. Hiro was still speechless. He was trying to accept the fact that Shuichi had lied to him for three years since the moment they met each other.

"_I'm Shuichi, Shindou Shuichi."_

It was a lie, a complete lie. Tatsuha decided not to say anything as he saw the guilt clearly written on Shuichi's face. K cleared his throat to bring all attention towards him. Shuichi stared at his manager with unreadable expression. Sakano, who had just woken up, looked as if he was glued to the ground. "I have to say that this is the most shocking news I've ever heard in my life. The first time Ryuichi introduced me and to you five years ago, he told me you were the son of his late father's friend. Tohma, as I recalled, said the same thing. Why would someone as young as you change his family name?"

Shuichi sighed audibly, grabbing a stool and sat down facing his friends. Taking a deep breath, Shuichi began his story with Tohma, Ryuichi, Akai and Koori backing him up.

**- 18 YEARS AGO… -**

13-year-old Ryuichi and 14-year-old Tohma tore down the white hallway towards their destination. The two ignored the yelling and all those people telling them not to run in the corridors. They could not care less about that. It was not time to ponder the consequences of disobeying orders. Tohma and Ryuichi were thinking about the same thing: '_Why must the first class wards be the hardest and the longest to reach?_' In a matter of five minutes, they stood panting at the door of a room marked 'Room A-001'. "Darn," Ryuichi swore. "This is the third time we have to run like this today." Tohma nodded in agreement, still trying to catch his breath. "At least we have a pretty good reason this time."

"You're right."

Tohma and Ryuichi were with a school camping trip to the mountains in Toyama when their fathers called. Ryuichi's mother had gone into labour. They took the train with only their wallets with them. Mind you, the trip from Toyama to Tokyo was not short. Then they had to catch a taxi to the hospital. Imagine two frantic teenage boys in a taxi… Oh, the horror! During the ride, Tohma had had to comfort Ryuichi, who almost broke down out of anxiety. The traffic jam did not help either.

Straightening up, Ryuichi and Tohma pushed the door open to reveal a crowd of people scattered around the room. Tenshi Murakami, Tenshi Midori and Hino Sakura were standing next to the bed currently occupied by a pink-haired woman – Sakuma Natsumi. In her arm was a small bundle in which she was smiling down at with pride. Seguchi Tohru and Seguchi Hikari, Tohma's parents, motioned for their son to stand by them. Sitting on the bed beside the pink-haired woman was Sakuma Kenichi. Ryuichi approached the bed with caution. He let his father, Kenichi, pulled his arms to get a closer look at the bundle of joy in his mother's arms. "Ryuichi, meet your brother Shuichi," his mother said softly and held the baby out to him. Kenichi helped to balance the baby in Ryuichi's trembling arms.

Ryuichi looked at the baby for the longest time. He had never held a newborn before. The little thing was so tiny. His flushed cheek made him look so angelic. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Ryuichi was almost shocked to his skin when the small bundle squirmed lightly. Only then did he notice that the baby was trying to snuggle closer to him. Was such move possible for a baby? Or, was the boy special? "He's so… tiny." Murakami, Tohru and Kenichi chuckled. Ryuichi didn't notice them. His eyes was fixed at the little baby – his baby brother. Ryuichi blinked a couple of times before breaking into a large grin. "Hi, Shuichi! I'm Ryuichi, your brother. Welcome to our life, Chibi-chan. I'll love you and take care of you."

Natsumi was touched by the sincerity in Ryuichi's words. She weakly reached for his eldest son's forehead to give it a loving kiss. Ryuichi giggled, still looking at his newborn brother. Natsumi looked up and called for Tohma. The blond teen took small paces towards the bed and looked at the baby. His dark eyes were wide with wonder. "Hi, Shuichi," whispered Tohma. "My name is Tohma. I'm your brother's best friend. From now on, I'll be yours too." Tohma was delighted when he was allowed to hold the baby. "He's so beautiful, Natsu-obaasan!" Ryuichi agreed with Tohma. "He's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in this world!" They gently kissed the infant's head, earning a light baby-snore from the sleeping Shuichi.

Four months later found Tohma and Ryuichi babysitting Shuichi as their parents attended a business party out of town.

"That's not fair," Ryuichi pouted. A frown marred his feature. "Why is it that he only falls asleep in your arms but not mine?"

Tohma laughed softly, rocking the sleeping baby with great caution. "Maybe it's because I handle him better than you or maybe it's just because I'm more handsome than you."

"Yeah, right. More handsome than me, huh? I never knew looking girlish makes one looks handsome," Ryuichi said with a teasing grin.

Tohma rolled his eyes. "I'm not girlish."

"You are."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

Oops! Looked like they woke little Shuichi up.

Suddenly, the front door swung open with a bang and hurried footsteps followed the sound of the wailing baby. Tohma and Ryuichi stared gaping at the sight of 14-year-old Koori and 16-year-old Akai approaching them. "Alright, hands up guys! Who's guilty of making the angel cry?" said Koori with a glare. Tohma and Ryuichi sweatdropped. Miraculously, Shuichi stopped wailing when Akai held out his hand to the boy. Shuichi started to gurgle gleefully and squirmed in Tohma's arms to reach Akai's outstretched hand. With a happy smile reserved for the baby, Akai took Shuichi into his arms and cooed. Akai smirked at the glaring trio in the room and brought Shuichi to the kitchen. It was time for food!

"What are you doing here, Koori?" asked a curious Ryuichi.

Koori beamed. "To visit my favourite baby cousin, of course! Oh, mom says hi, by the way. Kuro and Shiro wanted to come along but Aoki stopped them. Those two still haven't finish their homework, it seems."

Ever since Akai and Koori saw Shuichi in the hospital four months ago, they had taken an instant liking towards Shuichi. Now, after four months, the baby looked even more angelic than before. With flushed chubby cheeks and a mop pink hair, baby Shuichi melted everyone's heart. Aoki always turned into his hyper-_genki_ mode when he was around Shuichi.

The laughter was shared among them as the years rolled by. The Sakumas, mainly Ryuichi and Shuichi were the one who helped Tohma picked up the pieces of his shattered heart when the blond's parents died. With Shuichi's constant chanting of 'na no da!', everything was alright. No one knew where he learned the words, though. They soon became a suffix to Shuichi's sentences when the boy was able to talk.

Enter Kumagorou…

Ryuichi and Tohma stared at the three-year-old Shuichi in confusion. "Kumagorou?" they gasped simultaneously. Shuichi vigorously nodded his head. "Hai! His name is Kumagorou, na no da!"

Ryuichi tilted his head and frowned. "But Chibi-chan, it's a bunny, not a bear. Shouldn't his name be something along the lines of Usako instead? And it's pink. Are you sure it's a 'boy'?"

Shuichi pouted cutely. "Shuichi is sure, na no da! Kuma-chan is a boy because he wears a bow tie. Shuichi is not naming him Usako! Usako is a girl, na no da!"

Again, Tohma and Ryuichi's gaze fell onto the object of their current conversation. In Shuichi's arms was a pink, medium-sized stuff bunny wearing a red bow tie. Although the toy looked pretty plain, it cost a fortune since it was one-of-a-kind. It was specially made for Shuichi for his third birthday. For some unfathomable reasons, Shuichi decided to name the bunny 'Kumagorou'. Ryuichi and Tohma managed to save enough money to get the high-priced bunny for their cute Shuichi. The two gave up trying to convince Shuichi to change his mind about naming the bunny 'Kumagorou' – Kuma-chan for short. As Shuichi ran to his parents, Tohma and Ryuichi went to talk with the Koori and Akai. They congratulated Akai for graduating with flying colours. Koori swore he was going to beat his cousin's record since they studied in the same school. Akai had decided to enrol into the Police Academy to pursue a job as a police officer. Once again, Koori told them he was going to beat Akai's reputation when he caught up with him.

None of them was aware of the fact that Shuichi never reached Natsumi and Kenichi. He was distracted by the grand piano in one corner of the hall instead. Voices and laughter came to a halt when the hall was suddenly filled with happy melody of a piano. Tohma immediately recognised it as his own creation. Standing on the black chair and playing the piano was Shuichi, who seemed unaware of the effect he had on the audiences. The birthday boy played the melody until it ended. Shuichi only returned to reality when the hall roared with applause. He blinked and looked around, jumping off the chair and running towards Ryuichi. Tohma was gaping at the little boy. "How'd you do that, Shu-chan?" asked the awed blond.

"Do what, Tohma-oniichan?"

"Play the piano like that."

Shuichi hugged Kumagorou tightly to his chest and beamed. "Shuichi heard Tohma-oniichan play the song once, na no da! Shuichi just play it like Shuichi remember it, no da!"

Tohma gasped at the reply. Ryuichi was stunned beyond words. The same was true in the rest of the audience's case. Aoki, Akai and Koori stared silently at their favourite cousin. Shiroi and Kuroi were also rendered speechless. Tohma cleared his throat and frowned. "You heard me play once and you can already play the rest of it?"

Shuichi nodded his head vigorously.

Their conversation was interrupted when Sakuma Natsumi came running towards her youngest son to swing him around. "Oh, my darling Shuichi! Okaa-san is so proud of you!" She proceeded to shower the little boy with sweet little kisses, making the boy giggled in response. Kenichi and Murakami were talking in the farthest corner of the hall about God-Knows-What. The night was a new beginning for Shuichi. They no longer saw him as the normal, cute, boy but a cute little boy with natural talent. Ryuichi never got tired of teaching Shuichi all he knew about art and music. Tohma did the same. When Nittle Grasper was formed, their new career did not stop them from taking care of Shuichi. When Shuichi was seven, however, the two found themselves spending less time with the little angel than before.

It had been only two years since Nittle Grasper started rocking Japan with their extraordinary talent but Ryuichi and Tohma could already feel the heat. With time spent on tour, little Shuichi had no one to guide him.

On one sunny day, Tohma and Ryuichi took a small walk in the park with their disguises on. They couldn't risk being seen by the crowd. "Ne, Tohma."

"Hmm?"

"I'm worried about Shuichi."

Tohma's eyes saddened at that. "I am too, Ryuichi. I'm afraid Shuichi would think we don't want to spend time with him anymore. At this rate, I won't have much time to teach him keyboard anymore," he ended his words with a heavy sigh. A few days before, Shuichi refused to talk to them on the phone. His exact words when Natsumi gave him the phone were "Tohma-oniichan and Ryuichi-oniichan have been away for a month and only called Shuichi now. Shuichi and Kuma-chan don't want to talk to them, na no da!" The two Graspers' hearts sunk at that. When they returned home later, they had to spend a good two-hour-grovelling-session to get Shuichi to speak to them again. Koori, who was there with his mother Sakura at that time, laughed himself sick. They deserved it, anyway. Frustrated, Ryuichi kicked a small rock and sent it flying into the air.

KNOCK!

"Ouch!"

Ryuichi winced. He'd hit someone! A few metres ahead, a young man wearing a red cap fell to his knees and rubbed his aching head where the small rock hit. Ryuichi and Tohma ran towards the fallen man. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry, mister! It was my fault! I didn't see you there!" Ryuichi became frantic. How could he be so careless? The man laughed lightly. "It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much, anyway." He looked up and met Ryuichi's eyes – and froze. "Ryuichi-san? Tohma-san?" Ryuichi and Tohma blinked a few times. They studied the man as he got to his knees. When the aforementioned man took his cap off, Ryuichi and Tohma immediately recognised him. "Aoshi! It's you!" they both shouted. They would have been embarrassed if there were people around but luckily, there was none. Shindou Aoshi nodded and bowed sheepishly. Tohma and Ryuichi were his senior back then in high school. They were in the same club and were quite good friends. The young man graduated only a few months ago. For some reasons, Aoshi was also a friend of Akai and Koori since the brown-haired man was Koori's neighbour. Since Akai spent plenty of time at the Hinos with his cousin and best friend, you get the picture. Aoshi was also a big fan of Nittle Grasper.

They shook hands, smiling all the while. "It's been a while," said Aoshi. The other two nodded in agreement. "I'm still a big fan of your band, you know? When you guys left, our school practically went into mourning. But we're very proud of you, _sempai_." Ryuichi and Tohma had to laugh at that. They walked alongside each other and sat on a wooden bench nearby. "Mourning, huh? What about you, Aoshi? I heard you won every competition you entered. You've got a great sense of creativity too, you know? You just chose to lay low and not be seen in public. I swear, you're too shy for your own good," Tohma said with a warm smile. Aoshi blushed. "Shindou Aoshi and a crowd of people do not mix."

The three talked for a while. Ryuichi facefaulted when Aoshi told him he was working as an office boy in Sakuma Holding. He was trying to earn extra money to enrol in Tokyo University of Art and Music. His father died a few months back and his mother was not well enough to work. So, Aoshi had to work to support his family. It was then that an idea hit Tohma and Ryuichi. "You said something about supporting your family and saving money for your education, right? How about you work for us?"

"Work… for you?"

Tohma nodded. "Yes. You have a great talent in art and music, Aoshi. It would be great if you could teach our Kawaii Chibi-chan."

"Kawaii Chibi-chan?"

"My younger brother's nickname," Ryuichi provided. "His name is Sakuma Shuichi. Tohma and I have been teaching him music since he was four. But these past few months, we've been too busy with Nittle Grasper and all. We would like to hire you to be his tutor. We'll pay you ¥600,00 a month. How's that?"

Aoshi's eyes went wide at that. ¥600,00 a month! Okay, he knew Ryuichi and Tohma were from rich families, and Nittle Grasper probably profited millions a month but to pay him ¥600,00… Tohma raised an eyebrow at Aoshi's perplexed expression. "We could raise the pay a bit if you think that's not enough."

"Wha NO! That's not necessary. Yes, of course I'd love to work for you but 600,00 is a bit too much… don't you think?"

Tohma and Ryuichi grinned. "You'd be surprised at how far we're willing to go for our Shuichi," they both said proudly.

A few days later, Aoshi understood completely why Tohma and Ryuichi were willing to do anything for one Sakuma Shuichi. Aoshi found himself gazing into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He found himself enthralled in the biggest, truest smile ever given his way. The little boy standing in front of him was a cherub, not a mere mortal. Aoshi was thoroughly captivated by the purest picture of innocence the boy represented. Said boy held a hand out to him, his other hand clutching a pink stuff bunny.

"Hello, mister. My name is Sakuma Shuichi."

The boy had to be the sweetest human being Aoshi had ever encountered. As he took the boy's hand, he decided he would have tutored Shuichi all the same even if Tohma and Ryuichi did not pay for his services.

Aoshi took a deep breath and exhaled. He summoned the truest smile he could muster and took the boy's hand. "Hello, Shuichi. My name is Aoshi - Shindou Aoshi."

**To Be Continued in Track 12: Cold Hearts**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

**_Extra OCs:_**  
Sakuma Kenichi – Shuichi and Ryuichi's father  
Sakuma Natsumi – Shuichi and Ryuichi's mother  
Seguchi Tohru – Tohma's father  
Seguchi Hikari – Tohma's mother

You'll get to see more of Aoshi in the next chapter. For now, please be kind and REVIEW!


	16. Cold Hearts

THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER OF AITSWS! Don't forget to check out **'Solitude Chronicles'** as well.

**Lav:** Hi, Lav-chan! I can't believe you're actually reading this. Man, everyone says it's Kuroi but I'm still not saying anything about it. Teeheehee! Meet you in LJ as usual!  
**Kolie:** Me love "Where Will You Go". The song may sound eerie but it's so damn good. They've got a way with words. I think you're right.  
**Kitty in the Box:** Wee! Caps review XD Here's a little Shuichi-Aoshi scenes for you!  
**LilBlue-Hedggie:** That's because I have to make him a cute boy to explain how Ryuichi got his 'na no da' and Kuma-chan. About your brothers… I only have two brothers and they are 11 and 9 years older than me. But those two are spoiled, and love to spoil me as well. Heh!  
**Bram:** Glad that you waited anyways. If they eat my soul, than I won't be able to write anymore cuz I'm dead. Mwahahahah!  
**ichigo-chan:** In certain Cyber Cafes, you get privacy and silence. But in some, you get massive headache and recurring migraine. In my case, it's the second one. Poor me, huh? Yeah, I love Aoshi!  
**Hyper Chef:** Yep, I wanna see Grovelling!Tohma!  
**B Wanted:** You're not a baka! You're not! Aoshi is not a bad guy. More will be revealed soon.  
**MonkeyGurL:** I'm dying to get to that part two but this just need to be written.  
**Fuyuko-chan:** LOL!  
**i love athrun:** As always, enjoy this new chapter!  
**sakurastar-63:** Arigatou!  
**beyblade-athene:** Because I could (Wow, I say that a lot) Me loves Shu and Ryu too!  
**Lady of Castillo:** Original plot lines? Yay to me! Yep, we really need a nice Tohma sometimes.  
**otherworld:** And I hope you'll keep enjoying it.

A dose of giggles and a squeeze of cruelty in  
**TRACK 12: COLD HEARTS**

"No, Shuichi, that's not it," Aoshi told the eleven-year-old Shuichi the errors in his new lyric and how to fix it to match the melody. Shuichi was learning fast. His music and art lesson miraculously did not affect the boy's studies. Aoshi himself was studying in Tokyo University of Art and Music. He took the off-campus course to take care of his sick mother. It was easier for him to tutor Shuichi too. He just loved spending time with the cheerful boy. The past four years of teaching Shuichi were very much joyful. Shuichi did excellent in everything he did. The boy rarely grumbled too. But this time, it was slightly different. Aoshi had asked him to write about the rain, mainly because it was currently raining outside. According to the good-looking tutor, rainy days made good inspirations for literary works. "Nee, Aoshi-sensei… I don't think this is working, no da. How do I write a whole song based on the rain?" Instead of scowling like most teachers did, Aoshi simply smiled. "Okay, close your eyes."

"Pardon?"

"Close your eyes, Shuichi. C'mon, just do it."

Shuichi did as he was told. Kumagorou was perched on his head, smiling its usual smile. "What do I do now, Sensei?"

"Okay, now tell me what you hear."

Shuichi's frown deepened. "I only hear the rain."

"Be more specific, Shuichi. Tell me everything you hear, feel, and sense. Now, let's try again."

Shuichi was so tempted to just open his eyes and give up. He heard the rain. What else could he say? Even without opening his eyes, the boy knew his tutor was staring at him, waiting for his next words. What did Aoshi mean by 'hear', 'feel' and 'sense'? He pondered this for a while before realisation kicked in. He knew what he had to do!

"I hear the rain hitting the roof. There's sound of rain beating the ground. I hear the clashing of leaves on the trees where raindrops hit. I hear the water running in drains."

Aoshi nodded his head although he knew Shuichi couldn't see him. "Very good. What else?"

"I smell the sharp scent of rain. I feel the chill of the atmosphere. I sense the humidity in the air. I hear hurried footsteps on the road. I hear the roaring thunder."

"Excellent, Shuichi. Now, open your eyes."

Shuichi opened his eyes and let Aoshi led him to the balcony. He shivered as the cold air hit his skin. Aoshi's hands on his shoulders comforted him. "Look around, Shuichi. What do you see?"

Just then, a streak of lightning flashed in the distance, followed by the grumbling of clouds. Shuichi took a deep breath and observed the view around him. "I see the dark sky, the sky looks like it's weeping. I see the ripples of water in small puddles on the ground. I see bright flash of lightning illuminating the sky every once in a while. I see people walking and running in a hurry to find shelter from the rain." The list of things he saw went on until Aoshi told him to stop. "You did well, Shuichi. Do you know why I asked you to do that?"

Shuichi shook his head, still not understanding the real reason. Still, he was glad that Aoshi was satisfied with his efforts. The older man led the boy back into the house, both of them sat down on the cream coloured sofa there. "When you write, Shuichi, you shouldn't only use your brain. You must use your heart and senses as well. You have to use your five senses altogether to produce an astounding art. Your eyes, ears and skin play the biggest part out of the five senses. A combination of them in your works creates more realistic, heartfelt sceneries. Your imagination alone is not enough to serve as the pillars of strength for your works. The clue is: wake your senses up."

It took Shuichi a while to process the whole thing Aoshi told him. Eventually, he understood. Aoshi wanted him to use his senses to describe what happened around him so the event could appear to be more sensible. He could create a whole new dictionary of metaphors for himself. "I understand now, Aoshi-sensei. Say, what do you think about these lines, Aoshi-sensei? '_It rains here in my lonely heart, enveloping my tortured soul, with this chilling air tearing me apart, no arms to wrap around me when I'm cold_'."

"Hmm… Depressed, yet fitting. You're an extremely fast learner, Kawaii-chan."

Shuichi giggled. "Na no da! You think I could finish them and show the finished piece to Ryuichi-oniichan, Sensei?"

Aoshi ruffled the boy's hair lovingly. "He'd be jealous."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Shuichi opened the door to Aoshi's house with caution. The older man's mother was still in the hospital so Aoshi was alone in the house. Shuichi was glad his Aoshi-sensei gave him a key to the house.

"Aoshi-sensei! Aoshi-sensei!" Shuichi called out for his tutor gleefully. He'd completed four lyrics and was eager to hear Aoshi's views on them. Shuichi looked all around for the brown haired man but found no trace of him. Finally, he decided to check Aoshi's study. The words he was about to shout died in his throat at the sight that greeted him. On the sofa next to the study table, Shindou Aoshi slept soundly. Soft breeze from the open window played with his chestnut locks. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes tightly shut. He looked so much at peace. Shuichi looked at all those papers on Aoshi's table and found them to be some kind of essays. '_Hmm… Aoshi-sensei had been doing his homework. He must be really tired,_' thought the young boy.

He padded out of the study towards Aoshi's bedroom to retrieve a blanket. He spread the blanket over the sleeping figure with care so Aoshi wouldn't wake up. The action caused Aoshi to stir but did not wake. For a moment, Shuichi stood there staring at Aoshi, not saying anything. The guy looked so peaceful… Shuichi blushed. He always had these strange feelings when it came to Aoshi. It took him a while to know that he actually had a crush on his own tutor! While he knew having a crush on another male was wrong, he couldn't help it. He was… drawn.

And Aoshi's lips looked so enticing.

Shuichi could hear his heart thumping in his chest as he slowly bent down. His tentative lips closed over Aoshi's tenderly for one perfect moment. When Shuichi broke the kiss, Aoshi rolled to his side and mumbled incoherently. By then, Shuichi was as red as ripe cherries. He hugged Kumagorou close as he grinned and giggled gleefully. '_Eep! I kissed Aoshi-sensei!' _His heart squealed with joy. He did it! He kissed Aoshi!

And he really, really liked it.

Still giggling, Shuichi left his lyrics on Aoshi's table. He wrote a note on a crumpled piece of paper:

_Aoshi-sensei,_

_I was here earlier but I didn't want to disturb you. You look so tired and I figured you could use some sleep. Here are four new lyrics I wrote the other day. Hope you'll like it. See you tomorrow, Sensei!_

_Love,  
S. Shuichi._

Shuichi giggled some more at the word 'love' and left quietly.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- _Time flew by…_

Ryuichi, Tohma and Noriko were more than a little exhausted from the five-hour concert. Contrary to popular beliefs, being under the spotlight was no fun. Ryuichi sometimes envied Tohma and Noriko. Those two didn't have to sing and dance like he did. He and Tohma were about to fall asleep in their room when Tohma's cell phone rang. Ryuichi had switched his phone off. "Get the phone, Tohma. Maybe it's from that girl you're seeing." Tohma rolled his eyes as he reached for the phone. "When are you going to remember that her name is Mika? And " Tohma's words came to a halt when he looked at the name flashing on the LCD: _Sakuma Residence_.

"It's from your home."

Ryuichi sat up straight in a blink as Tohma answered the call. Their blood ran cold at the shrill cry of Sakuma Natsumi on the other side of the phone. Tohma immediately switched to speakerphone mode. "Tohma! Is Ryuichi with you?"

"I'm here, Okaa-san. What's happened?" Ryuichi didn't like the panic in his mother's voice.

"It's your father. Oh, Ryuichi! Someone's beaten him!"

"WHAT !"

"I don't really know what's going on. Murakami-san, Koori and Akai are taking the case. Your father is in the operation room now."

"Okaa-san, stay there with everyone, okay? Is Shuichi there too?"

"Yes, he cried himself to sleep."

Ryuichi and Tohma thanked God silently. "I'm taking the flight home right now. Wait for me there, okay?"

"O… okay. Just be careful, Ryu-chan."

"I will, Okaa-san. I'll see you there."

Tohma refused to wait there so he followed Ryuichi. On their hurry to the airport, the extremely famous celebrities almost knocked their poor, clueless manager down the stairs. They hastily apologised and left, promising to explain everything later.

Meanwhile, Akai was taking care of a sleeping Shuichi while his father, Murakami dealt with his aunt. Koori had gone back to the headquarters to retrieve his laptop. The little boy was still sniffling even in his sleep and Akai hated the ones who attacked his uncle even more. When Ryuichi and Tohma arrived, Sakuma Kenichi was already put in a private ward and his condition was stable enough. The man earned many stitches for his bruises though. Murakami, although retiring in a couple of years, was still full of energy. He simply refused to let his subordinates handle the case. Kenichi was a close family member, after all. They suspected the mastermind to be the rival company to Sakuma Holding and Enterprises – Shouko Enterprises. Over the years, Shouko Enterprises' finance and profit had been going downhill. Sakuma Enterprises and Seguchi Enterprises were more dominant in the industry.

The President, Shouko Jun, was rumoured to be utterly resentful towards Kenichi because the latter's company was trusted with more projects. Jun's wife had committed suicide for unknown reasons but they said it had to do with Jun's habbit of getting drunk as a means of escaping his problem. It was possible that the man was the one who sent his minions after Kenichi. It was only then that Natsumi told them that Kenichi received a few threats in the past couple of months. Murakami, Koori and Akai went over the notes bearing the threats and decided it was best for the Sakumas to go into hiding. The other Tenshis and Hinos were very upset at this. Only Murakami, Akai, Koori, Kenichi, Natsumi, Ryuichi, Tohma, Shuichi and and the workers of the Sakuma residence knew of the Sakumas' new abode. It was a secluded mansion in the middle of a forest. Being in hiding, however, did not stop Shuichi from continuing his lessons with Aoshi. It did not interfere with Ryuichi's career as well.

"You're living in a mansion in the middle of that eerie forest?" Aoshi asked incredulously as he put his cup down onto the coffee table. Shuichi couldn't help but tell Aoshi where they lived. He just couldn't hide anything from the man. "Hai, Aoshi-sensei. It was kind of eerie at night but we have to. I miss my old house, na no da…" Aoshi winced at the sad look on Shuichi's face. He pulled the adorable boy into his embrace. "Don't be sad, Shu-chan. Things will get a lot better soon."

Shuichi sighed. He took relish in the comfort of Aoshi's arms. "I shouldn't be telling you about my new place. Murakami-ojiisan said it could endanger us. Even the workers at our house aren't allowed to go out for the time being. You'll never repeat what I told you to anyone, right, Aoshi-sensei?" At that same exact moment, a horn sounded from the outside. It was Tohma, who had promised to pick Shuichi up from Aoshi's house earlier that day. Aoshi smiled reassuringly and swore never to tell anyone about the Sakumas' whereabouts. Shuichi broke free from his tutor's comforting embrace and kissed the man squarely on the lips. "Thank you, Aoshi-sensei! I'll see you later!"

As Shuichi left, Aoshi wondered why his lips tingled.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

A few months passed. Shuichi was happily making his way to Aoshi's house when his cell phone rang. The cell phone was a gift from Aoshi for winning an online poetry writing competition. The man also brought him to the amusement park where Shuichi had a crap load of fun the whole day. Really, even if Aoshi had brought him to the library, he would still be happy as long as he was with the older man. Shuichi joyfully answered the phone but kept his voice low so he would not be recognised. His family was still in hiding, anyway.

"Shuichi? Shuichi, wherever you are, don't come home yet!" came his mother's voice. She sounded frantic, much like the time when she called Tohma the previous year. Shuichi frowned. "Okaa-san, are you okay?"

"You must hide, Shuichi! Don't let them find you! Someone's revealed our location! You – "

The line went dead. "Okaa-san? Okaa-san! Hello?" What did his mother just say? Someone revealed their location to their enemy? But everyone who knew of their hideout was their workers, Tohma, Akai, Koori and Murakami. They would never expose them, would they? No one else knew and… Shuichi visibly paled. '_No, it couldn't be. No, not him. Not him!'_ He ran faster to Aoshi's house. He knew he ought to go home and find out what was wrong there but he needed to talk to Aoshi. He hoped his thoughts were wrong. There was no way his beloved Sensei would betray them…

…Or would he?

No, Aoshi _swore_ to him.

Unlocking the door to Aoshi's house, Shuichi was greeted by a sight he wished he never saw in the living room "A… Aoshi-sensei?"

Broken bottles were scattered around the room. Aoshi himself stood with a bottle in his hand. Shuichi's mind registered one thing: Shindou Aoshi was drunk. Very drunk. The man smirked when he saw Shuichi standing there. "Ah, if it isn't my Kawaii-chan… (hiccup) Shouldn't you be at home, hmm? (hiccup) I believe you should be having a few guests over right now."

Shuichi frowned. What was Aoshi saying? Why would he be having a few guests over at home? Who – No… It couldn't be. "Aoshi-sensei… Did you tell anyone about our… location." Aoshi laughed eerily and took a swig out of his bottle. "Maybe." Shuichi gasped and took a step back. At first, there was disbelief. Then, there was sadness and next, rage took over.

"We trusted you, Aoshi-sensei! I trusted you! How could you!" Shuichi shouted, enraged. Aoshi laughed, throwing the bottle in his hand across the living room and watched as it shattered. He took a few steps forward to the fuming Shuichi. "Aw, c'mon Shuichi. What harm would it bring?"

"You knew my family is in danger and you spill our secret to our enemy! Why?" Aoshi laughed again. He didn't answer the boy but Shuichi's eyes widened as he scanned the room. A few 10000 Yen notes were scattered around the room, as if they were thrown around by careless hands. Aoshi, still laughing, collapsed onto the floor. Shuichi couldn't believe his eyes.

"Aoshi-sensei…You… The money… Damn you! We trusted you, we loved you. But you.. You… YOU SOLD US!" The boy kicked the laughing man with all his might and ran out in angry tears. He had to get to his house – fast!

It was his fault.

He was the one who told Aoshi.

And Aoshi told their enemy.

It was his fault.

HIS fault.

"Please, let minna-san be safe!" He ignored Aoshi's drunken yelling of his name and continued running.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Ryuichi and Tohma shouted contentedly as the show ended. Nittle Grasper was invited as a special guest in a Korean show. The two friends couldn't wait to go home again. They missed their Shuichi dearly. "Oi, Ryu, why don't you call your mom and tell her we'll be coming home early? Maybe she could make that delicious spaghetti again, hmm?"

"Bright idea, Tohma. I'll call her now. We're not supposed to be home until tomorrow. I bet she'll be thrilled."

Ryuichi waited until someone answered the call. He was about to say 'hello' when noises he did not expect filled his ear.

Tohma raised an eyebrow at Ryuichi's expression. "What is it, Ryu?"

"… Kami-sama… No…"

Tohma snatched the phone and turned the speakerphone mode on. He was more than shocked to hear the sounds coming from the phone.

**To Be Continued in Track 13: Broken Wings**

The next chapter is '**The Bloodbath**' tragedy. Better brace yourself now. When I'm finished with this flashbacks, I'm going to find more victims (after Ryuichi and Hiro) to torture poor Shuichi. Mwahaha! And oh, Aoshi will give his accounts later. These people didn't know the real story yet. For some extras, check out my **LJ**!

I think this chapter sucks. Maybe I'll edit it later. For now, please review! I'm off to work on the fourth chapter of **Solitude Chronicles**.


	17. Track 13 Part 1: Broken Wings

As you can see, I'm in a rush. I'll be going to matrics college this Sunday. God knows when I'll be able to update. Please, do check my Livejournal (link in my profile) because any updates or news regarding me and my fics are posted there. Thank you!

And to reviewers, thank you very much for your reviews. I'm so terribly sorry that I couldn't personally reply to them like I always did.

**WARNING! – **Mention of rape and non-graphic violence.

The death of a butterfly and the birth of its substitute in  
**TRACK 13: BROKEN WINGS  
**- **Part 1** -

For some reasons, the journey back to the old and hidden Sakuma Mansion seemed to take too long for Shuichi. His legs were beginning to feel sore, what with his heart thumping madly. At the entrance of the forest, two police officers lied on the ground agape – dead, in pools of their own blood. Shuichi dropped Kumagorou as his whole body started to shake. Both of the dead officers had taken two bullets to their heads and one to their heart. They didn't even had the time to fight back. Just like that, their lives were taken away. It was amazing how something as big as life ended with something so small, like the bullet. '_This is my fault! My fault!_' Shuichi summoned all of his courage and ran through the forest, determined to reach his house. In the distance, he could hear piercing shrieks and painful screams. As he ran, memories of the days he spent with Aoshi tormented him.

"_Aoshi-sensei thinks my song is beautiful, na no ka? Yay! Shuichi is so happy!"_

"_I don't mind Ryuichi-oniichan and Tohma-oniichan not spending time with me anymore. I have you, Aoshi-sensei!"_

Shuichi wiped his tears angrily. He would not cry over Aoshi! The man had betrayed his trust. When the young boy reached the main gate, he froze in shock for a moment. Dead bodies were everywhere…. The caretaker of thirty years of the Shindou family lied just beside the door to the mansion. The old man's head was shot and a dagger was sticking out of his chest. The other dead bodies were also lying in pools of their own blood with shocked, tortured expressions. The housekeepers, the bodyguards… They were all dead. Shuichi was shaking all over as he stepped into the mansion.

Kami-sama!

The colour red was everywhere. On the floor… On the wall… Dead bodies of the maids painted the floor with glaring red. Everything was messy in there. Shuichi could hear screams coming from the second floor. The intensity of the screams faded away as seconds ticked by. "Okaa-san! Otou-san! Where are you?" Shuichi screamed. As if on cue, a piercing shriek sounded from the upstairs. Shuichi tried his best to ignore the dead bodies on the floor as he ran past them to find the source of the shriek, muttering apologies in his head. He resisted the urge to kick the dead bodies of some attackers the bodyguards were able to shoot before dying themselves. Shuichi was dead sure he heard his mother scream in anguish.

"OKAA-SAN!"

A pained yell countered Shuichi's. "Noo! Don't come in here! Run!"

It was coming from the master bedroom! Shuichi did not care. He burst into the room… just to be rendered speechless for a moment. Five men armed with guns and cylinder pipes were beating his father up. On the other side of the room, his half-naked mother was being restrained by two men… with one man on top of her. Sakuma Natsumi was being raped! Shuichi felt sick to his stomach. Tears stung his eyes, and his heart boiled with anger and intense hatred. "Bastard! What are you doing to my okaa-san!" He ran forward and tried to free the woman from the monsters' grasps. Two of the men that was torturing Sakuma Kenichi held Shuichi back. "Get away from her!" He screamed, struggling to get away. The other men laughed coldly at the young boy. The two men restraining him started to drag him out of the room to the next room. "You shouldn't have come back at all, kid," one man said, grinning evilly. Shuichi was roughly slammed into the wall. He groaned in pain at the impact.

The next thing Shuichi knew, they were tying him up. The men started unbuckling their belts with animalistic glints in their eyes. Shuichi shivered, not knowing what to do. His mother was screaming and crying in the other room. He had never felt so helpless before! "Poor kid. This is what happens when you piss Shouko Jun off. Blame your father, why don't you?" The bigger of the two men spat, undoing his pant and swinging his belt around. The next few moments were hell for Shuichi. The poor little boy was being violated in the most disgusting way possible. No matter how loud he screamed or how loud he pleaded, the men continued to sexually assault him.

When they were finished with him, Shuichi was thrown against the wall where he slid down into a boneless heap on the once unblemished, carpeted floor. As the strangers adjusted their clothes, a surge of energy seeped through the boy's veins. Shuichi leaped unexpectedly and snatched on of the men's gun. He didn't think twice. He shot the men point blank, straight to the head. They say when you're desperate, you could do things you have never done unknowingly. The saying applied to Shuichi, it seemed. The boy didn't need to learn how to use guns to know how to operate them.

Putting his torn shirt and pants back on, Shuichi ran to the next room where his father and mother were being 'killed'. The men stopped what they were doing when Shuichi appeared in the doorway holding a gun. "Ah," one of them started. "What can a little baby do with a gun, hmm?" The men laughed eerily. Shuichi quickly closed his eyes and fired the gun twice.

The laughter only grew after the gunshots. Little Shuichi opened his eyes just in time to see his parents fell to a heap of their own blood on the stained floor.

No…

The men had used Kenichi and Natsumi as shields. Shuichi… had shot them both. Struck with horror and the realisation of what he'd done, Shuichi's whole body trembled violently. The laughter of men was like evil music to his ears. Visions of the time when they were happy together flashed like a slideshow in his mind. Something in his mind snapped. Shuichi's hand tightened around the gun and screamed. He fired randomly, hearing the men gasped in shock and pain. When the gun ran out of bullets, he wasted no time getting another gun and shot the men to death.

He dropped to his knees before his lifeless parents. The gun fell from his grip as Shuichi took hold of Natsumi and Kenichi's heads. "Okaa-san… Otou-san…" Tears were freely coursing down his bruised cheeks. Kenichi didn't move. Shuichi knew his father, his beloved father, was gone. Natsumi was still breathing shallowly. "Shu… i… chi. My Shuichi…"

"Okaa-san! I… I…"

"Shuichi…" Natsumi reached out to Shuichi's cheek with her trembling hand. She was smiling through her pain. Summoning every bit of energy she had left, she wiped the tears of her youngest son's cheek. A hoarse whisper escaped her lips, "Live." Her hand fell to the bloodied floor. Shuichi's eyes widened.

"Okaa-san?"

Silence…

"Okaa-san? OKAA-SAN! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- 

Never in their life had Tohma and Ryuichi ran this fast. When the taxi that picked them up from the airport was stuck in traffic jam, they had no choice but to rely on how fast their feet could go. The mansion was becoming closer, and the hearts were beating like crazy. Ryuichi prayed that his family was okay, that the sounds they heard from the phone earlier were a joke. Tohma prayed for their safety, for the Sakumas were his family since his parents passed away. The sight of the dead officers at the entrance to the forest that led to their mansion was enough to render them speechless for a moment. "Oh my God…" Tohma gasped audibly. Ryuichi's eyes caught something pink lying on the ground. "Shu-chan's Kumagorou!" He exclaimed, reaching for the pink bunny. He looked at Tohma with dread obvious in his eyes. His best friend's eyes mirrored the look. Dropping the bunny back to where the owner previously dropped it, Tohma and Ryuichi made a mad dash into the forest to Sakuma Mansion.

"Hurry up, Tohma!" Ryuichi urged, not bothering to look where Tohma was. The blond ran closely behind him. They were both out of breath. The journey to the mansion seemed to take longer than ever before. They knew that the police would be there shortly but they had to know what happened first. They had to get to the scene first.

'_Chibi-chan, minna-san, please be okay!_'

For the second time that few minutes that seemed to be so long, Tohma and Ryuichi stood frozen at the gate. They looked around at the dead bodies thrown carelessly on the ground. The dead bodies of the unrecognisable strangers were proofs that the people of the mansion had fought for their life until the end. Blood was everywhere, and the pungent and metallic scent of it danced in the eerie atmosphere. They had never seen something as repulsive as this! It felt like watching a horror movie. It was not supposed to be this way! "Kami-sama… This can't be real! This… Kami-sama…" They were both shaking as they made their way through the mass of dead bodies into the mansion, just to be greeted with very much the same scene.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGHHH!"

Tohma and Ryuichi stopped dead in their track. The piercing shriek was so anguish that it hurt just to hear it. Another shriek was heard, and the two famous celebrities shook even more. "To… Tohma… That voice…"

"Shu-chan… Upstairs..."

Ignoring the broken glasses, destroyed furniture and the endless pools of blood, they ran upstairs, where another howl was heard.

"SHUICHI!"

Their eyes widened upon entering the master bedroom. "Masaka…" Ryuichi fell to his knees, shaking his head; he tried to deny what his eyes were seeing. 12-year-old Shuichi was cradling a middle-aged man and woman in his arms. His body shook as tears journeyed continuously down his bruised cheeks. His clothes were ragged, torn and bloody – as if someone had tried to rip them off his little body. Four used guns sat silently next to Shuichi. Tohma reached out to the sobbing teen with tears falling freely down his face as he observed the scene. The man and woman cradled close to Shuichi's chest were obviously dead. "Obasan… Ojisan..."

"Shuichi… "Tohma choked out.

"DOUSHITE!!" Shuichi howled brokenly. "DOUSHITE, KAMI-SAMA, DOUSHITE!!!!"

The howl shook Ryuichi out of his stupor. The vocalist reached for his beloved baby brother and hugged the boy as Tohma did. "Shuichi, Shuichi, calm down." They knew it was no use. No one could be calm in this situation. No one, and nothing could make things right again. As Shuichi howled in agony, Tohma and Ryuichi wept. They heard footsteps and voices coming from downstairs. They ignored the commotion. Tohma and Ryuichi did not see Koori and Akai fell to their knees upon reaching the room. The noises died at once, as they police officers took the whole scenes in. No one dared to make a sound as the young inspectors hugged the sobbing trio. They had never seen Akai and Koori like this. They were clearly in shock. Just when one of the officers was about to call the ambulance, an explosion from the basement shook the whole mansion. "Sir, we have to get out of here! They've planted explosives all over the mansion!"

Another explosion shook them. In no time, the left wing of the mansion was on fire. Shuichi refused to let go of his parents when Akai and Koori tried to pry him away. "No! No! You can't just leave them here! NO!"

"Shu-chan, this house is going down soon. We have to get out now!" Akai reasoned firmly, although there were tears running down his face. Ryuichi couldn't find the right words. He too didn't want to leave his parents there. Koori left Ryuichi and Tohma no room for hesitation as he dragged the two of them out. When another explosion broke out, Akai had no choice but to hoist Shuichi onto his shoulder and ran out of there. Shuichi struggled all the way, hands reaching out to nothing at all. "No! No! Don't take me away! Don't leave them! No, no, no! Okaa-san! Otou-san!"

BOOM!

The old yet elegant mansion exploded just as they reached the police cars. Half of the forest was consumed by angry flames. The sounds of approaching fire engines, ambulance and press helicopters were lost to Shuichi, who continued to wail and scream for his parents. Ryuichi held Kumagorou and the struggling Shuichi close to his chest. His bright violet eyes were dulled by pain and sorrow. Tohma hugged them and wept silently. Akai slumped against the driver's seat while Koori sat silently next to him. No one said anything. After a few minutes, Shuichi collapsed from exhaustion and blood loss. He was taken to the hospital by the ambulance. Tohma and Ryuichi went with him on the ambulance and Akai and Koori followed.

"This is… like a horror movie or something," Koori whispered sadly, wiping tears off his face to no avail. They just kept coming. "It seems so… surreal. I wish this were just a dream. I wish I'd wake up and see them smiling at us… Why, Akai? Why this?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know."

- To be Continued in Broken Wings Part 2 -


End file.
